Athletic Bilbao delivered one of their best performances of the season by thrashing Getafe 4-0 in La Liga's ninth round. This win provides relief in a challenging campaign, as the club sits 15th in the standings with 9 points from eight games, the product of two wins, three draws, and three losses.
The win arrives at a key time, lifting the Basque club to fifteenth place in the standings with 12 points from nine games. This result ends a run of two consecutive defeats and improves their recent form over the last five matches to one win, two draws, and two losses. In their recent five-match form of one win, two draws, and two losses, the team had lost its last two outings, against Levante (3-1) and Valencia (0-0), prior to this success. Getafe, meanwhile, remains in 17th place with 9 points, having won only one of their last five matches.
Berenguer runs the show
The match was decided in the first half. Alex Berenguer opened the scoring in the 17th minute following a team move. The winger wasn't finished and, before the break, delivered a pinpoint pass for Iñaki Williams to beat David Soria in the 35th. Berenguer completed his masterful afternoon with two precise deliveries after halftime. The first was headed home by Aitor Paredes in the 70th minute and the last was volleyed in by Yuri Berchiche in the 88th, sealing an emphatic scoreline. The Basque player was named the match MVP for his decisive influence on all four goals.
Defensive solidity
Against a Getafe side that created little threat, the Basque defence kept a clean sheet for the first time in several matchdays, improving a season's tally of 8 goals scored and 9 conceded. Unai Simón had few notable saves. The late red card for visitor Mario Martín in the 86th minute, when the score was already 3-0, did not disrupt the home side's control. The team showed notable tactical discipline, committing just eleven fouls compared to fifteen from the visitors.
With morale high, Athletic travel this Thursday, 29 October, to face Prat in the Copa del Rey. The squad approaches this cup tie with renewed confidence after a display that puts them back on track. Their next league fixture is an away trip to face Valencia. In the title race, Athletic now finds itself 18 points behind the leaders, Barcelona.
Athletic Club manager Edin Terzić expressed his satisfaction following the 4-0 win over Getafe. "It was a match we had to win and that's what we showed from the start," the coach stated. The club, now eighth in LaLiga with 12 points, also saw the official debuts of Christian Imga and Jesús Vizcay, whom Terzić congratulated for earning their opportunity.
