Athletic Bilbao were unable to find the net at San Mamés and settled for a goalless draw against Deportivo Alavés. The match from the seventh round of LaLiga EA Sports left the lions with eight points, placing them tenth in the league table. Alavés, for their part, registered their second consecutive draw and reached six points, remaining in fifteenth position.
Edin Terzic set up his team in the usual 4-3-3 formation. Unai Simón was in goal, with a defence of Johaneko Louis-Jean, Aitor Paredes, Aymeric Laporte and Yuri Berchiche. The midfield trio consisted of Iñigo Ruiz, Mikel Jauregizar and Oihan Sancet, while the attacking line was formed by Robert Navarro, Nico Williams and Iñaki Williams. For their part, Enrique Sánchez Flores's Alavés started with a 4-4-2, where goalkeeper Antonio Sivera was a key figure. The visitors' defence was made up of Andoni Gorosabel, Abdel Abqar, Rafa Marín and Javi López. In midfield, Antonio Blanco and Ander Guevara started, with Carlos Vicente and Luis Rioja on the wings. Kike García and Samu Omorodion formed the strike partnership.
A Match of Few Chances
The encounter, refereed by Víctor García Verdura, was tactical with few clear-cut chances. Athletic generated a total of 21 shots, with 13 on target, but found Sivera in excellent form as he made seven saves. The visiting keeper also completed 11 accurate passes. For the home side, Yuri Berchiche was the standout performer in defence, making seven ball recoveries. Iñigo Ruiz received the only yellow card for the hosts for unsporting behaviour in the 71st minute. Alavés barely created any danger, registering only four shots throughout the match, none of which were on target.
Terzic made several changes in the second half to try and unlock the game. In the 61st minute, Iñaki Williams and Mikel Jauregizar made way for Maroan Sannadi and Álex Berenguer. Later, Robert Navarro was substituted for Peio Canales. In the closing stages, Yuri Berchiche was replaced by Nicolás Serrano. On the visitors' side, Enrique Sánchez Flores made changes from the bench, bringing on Jon Guridi, Xeber Alkain and Giuliano Simeone in the second half. With this result, Athletic extend their winless run in LaLiga to three matches, with a record of two draws and one defeat in the last three rounds.
The team now has time to work during the international break. Their next league fixture is a trip to Vallecas to face Rayo Vallecano on October 10th. The Madrid-based side currently sit twelfth. Alavés will host Real Betis at Mendizorrotza on the same day. Fans can check the full season schedule on our fixtures page and follow the team's progress in the standings.
The report in full is at RPP Noticias
