Athletic forgives Betis’ life

An army of witches crossed Athletic’s path when they planned to comprehensively defeat Betis. Only in this way can we understand that Valverde’s battalion distributed the points in a match in which they had dozens of scoring chances that were ruined with improbable shots, shots to the posts and shots at the dummy, that is, at Rui Silva. Many actions were at goal mouth, to push, and incredibly they went astray. And perhaps the best thing is the feeling that they could have completely ruined the night and buttoned up the meager loot. That’s what this game has: sometimes you score a goal out of nowhere, with your ass, and other times you make dozens and dozens of sharp plays in a great game and you’re left with a stale draw. Faced with this ineffectiveness, Pellegrini’s team extracted oil in the little it explored in the Agirrezabala area. The gods were on the side of the Heliopolitans, who would do well if they found an open lottery office in the city of the Guggenheim to take home a complete series for Christmas.

Guruzeta and Jauregizar fell at the last minute due to lower back pain and back pain, respectively. The staff rubbed their eyes at the bad shadow of the first half. It was an incessant flood of chances, almost all of them on the left wing, where Bellerín asked for help because he did not know where to start when it came to stopping the red and white wave. Three posts and frenetic activity with very clear shots that did not end up in the net without a possible explanation. That is what happened, that the lions spared the lives of the Sevillians.

The offensive front formed by Williams and Djaló continually exchanged positions to the despair of the green and white defense, which continually lost references to which to put the shackles. Álvaro finally showed his good version. He offered the first goal pass, which Nico strangely finished off by putting the outside of his left foot in, when that leather would have been canned with the inside. Of course, there seemed to be an offside. Iñaki had a feast of passes to score. In the 13th minute, an ultra-fast unmarking by Sancet along the central axis allowed the number 9 an exquisite service on a platter, but the playmaker hit it to break with his instep instead of pushing with a touch. Technical errors and various misfortunes prevented us from leading 3-0 at halftime. The monologue was disguised as a debate tied with a goalless tie. The lions drew music from the Silva wood, with a stringer by Iñaki, an arriving shot by Sancet and a corner taken by Paredes.

Betis suffered like a condemned man without the ball. His system was blown up with the rock and roll from Valverde, that way of moving around the field pushing high, putting a lot of rhythm and into the race. Chimy, whistled these years for a very harsh action with Nico in the past when he played with Osasunahad a counterattack, but did not make good oriented control and went to the ground alone when trying to face Agirrezabala. The Argentine and Roque are terminal players, the game does not usually mature on their feet and they were without food. Altimira and Johnny were very static and watched the ball pass. So everyone depended on those outside, Fornals and Abde, but they were very well watched.

After half an hour, the green and white team, exhausted from watching rivals pass by at full speed, tried to lower their heart rate. With XXL possessions, bringing the shock to your field. Because that lack of control was going very badly for him. But the ball was boring between his legs, They would have been punished with passive play if it were a handball clash. Iñaki persisted, he did not stop until he was exhausted. The umpteenth clear shot in the visiting area this time went to the dummy, Rui Silva found it.

How Pellegrini would have to see it to shake the foundations of his team at half-time. Three changes no less. Altimira, Chimy and Bellerín, reduced to ashes with the three players who constantly faced him, to the booth. Assane, Losada and Sabaly jumped onto the green. He also changed the system, with a manager from behind like Johnny, a line of four that Fornals elevated, leaving the side to take the lead, verticality on the edges and a reference at the top. And things changed, yes. Shortly after starting, Assane found Yuri’s back and crossed into the area, where only Fornals appeared to score. A goal full of emotion, as he remembered his native Castellón. And in Bilbao they scored an absolutely memorable goal with Villarreal in 2018. First shot on goal and into the pot after a deafening siege, that is indeed effectiveness. He who forgives, pays, was the summary embraced by the football cliché.

In any case, this new panorama did not sink the locals, who continued the same, although with the constant failure in the attack. Sancet remained dazed, determined to look for power instead of placement. As in another break into space in the 64th minute with a cross from Iñaki that crossed a lot. Agirrezabala saved the 0-2 against Losada in a devastating counterattack by the visitors in the 64th minutewith four for two. But Athletic finally found the key that sounded like a goal in the 69th minute, with a combination on the right wing between Iñaki and De Marcos: he elevated it to the area and there between the centre-backs Berenguer headed in, a goal that may seem unusual at one extreme of his size, but he has four in the stratosphere in the 25 he signs in First Division. Álex himself had been at the origin of that much.

In order not to lose the habit, after that goal it was time for another visit to the sphere of the paranormal. A precise touch by Nico that implied half a goal was forcibly finished off by Herrera and was found again by Rui Silva, who had a magnet. The clash got out of hand in the final stages, with chances in the green-and-white area, catching the defense’s back very well, a tradition now, and some counterattacks by Pellegrini’s team, such as one with a mistake by Yuri that Bakambu couldn’t finish. The victory was constantly knocking on the door, but everything ended in a 1-1 draw. Iñaki ended up defeated without the prize he deserved. Athletic is bursting at the seams, dispelling the doubts it raised against Slavia and Mallorca. But they are sensations, and these are often not exchanged for points.

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