Athletic knows that climbing to the top in the League is impossible because between Madrid and Barça there is no one who can take elbows and make room, but in the Cup they have already settled on the throne and in Europe they also see a loophole to reach that dreamed leadership.. The final of the current Europa League is in San Mamés and there will probably not be another more favorable occasion to reign in the Old Continent. So far his path is impeccable. A prestigious draw at the Olympic Stadium in Rome and all victories to pose the challenge of dislodging an intractable Lazio from first place. He is co-leader and watches the round of 16 with a couple of hours in which he won without getting off the bus.
Elfsborg is the team with the lowest UEFA coefficient of those that entered the tournament’s hype and they proved it amply in their pitiful visit to Bilbao. A little team that has finished its league and has not competed for more than two weeks, beyond a friendly. That is little less than a heresy in the face of an Athletic in a permanent state of boiling, in rock and roll mode. They call them The Elegantit will be because they lose with refinement, without complaining. The lions didn’t even need to step on the accelerator, because in front there was a very weak group behind. What’s more, Hiljemark decided to invent strange things, like sending Ibrahim to the slaughterhouse, a center back looking to be Nico’s shadow on the wing. The international did what he wanted. And to torment the Nigerian a little more, sometimes the other Williams, Iñaki, took turns in his area to confront him and overwhelm him.
Boras’s team barricaded themselves in their field throughout the first half and, although they lost two goals, they remained hidden there with bomb-proof conformity, passivity and parsimony. First There came a moment that Adama Boiro will never forget. A strategic play: corner kick towards Guruzeta, who in the baseline together with the ineffable Ibrahim gave way to Adama due to the indolence of the Nordics. The exosaunista arrived unmarked in the area and hit a good left foot shot, with a twist, so that the ball opened wide. He caught Hedlund static and everything was a piece of cake. His European debut with a goal. He had scored a goal last year in the reserve team. To celebrate, he sat with his legs crossed calmly as if he were in the middle of a valley alone, something similar to the ‘chill guy’ meme, a dog dressed in a sweater and pants that is very calm in the middle of the field that Nico promoted. a few days ago.
The people applauded Simón upon his return to the playing fields four months later. But it seemed that he was allied with the announced encouragement strike for half an hour by the Animation Stand, claiming that they feel mistreated. The goalkeeper, captain for the first time in his life, did not touch a ball during those 30 minutes, a touch without any danger. Yes, it can be seen that he is without rhythm, hesitant in his exits. Elfsborg did not press, they remained contemplative and Athletic saw that they did not need their usual fervor against a soft opponent who did not reach their area. He moved the ball at will and accelerated on very rare occasions, because that was worth it. Nico continued having fun without opposition. A bicycle, of course, against Ibrahim allowed a luxury pass to the center of the area, where Prados appeared and this time chased away the recent ghosts of errors on clear occasions. There were curious things in the Bilbao afternoon, like a goal from Adama, and this 2-0 header from Beñat, something very unusual. The yellows didn’t even know where to move, they scored in something similar to a zonal defense, and let their peers spin and overwhelm them.
Hiljemark moved two pieces at half-time, but the situation barely changed. Because he took out the disaster of Ibrahim and put the brown on a midfielder on that wing. The clinical picture did not improve. The most permissive team in Europe. Pipes were thrown that raised sighs of admiration from the respectable. Even Gorosabel obtained a precious technical resource in a tile. Inspiration emerged from every inch of green. The side measured terribly and allowed Adama to control with his chest, advance and give way to Guruzeta to reverse the protagonists of the 1-0 play and capture the final 3-0. Txingurri sent part of his praetorian guard to rest. And the stadium was able to give warm applause to Adama, one of the protagonists of the afternoon.
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Changes
Timothy Grandma (45′, Ibrahim Buhari), Gottfrid Rapp (45′, Arbër Zeneli), Alex Berenguer (55′, Iñaki Williams), Ander Herrera (55′, Íñigo Ruíz de Galarreta), Nico Serrano (62′, Nico Williams), Unai Gómez (62′, Oihan Sancet), Emil Holten (71′, Besfort Zeneli), Terry White (71′, Michael Baidoo), Rami Kaib (71′, Ahmed Qasem), Iñigo Leku (75′, Adama Boiro)
Goals
1-0, 5′: Adama Boiro2-0, 23′: Benat Prados3-0, 52′: Turn around
Cards
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili
VAR referee: Stuart Attwell, Aleko Aptsiauri
Williams (20′, Yellow), Ibrahim Buhari (29′, Yellow)