Athletic Bilbao 0 - Mallorca 1

Bilbao: Lafuente; Lacruz, Roberto Rios (Ezquerro 75'), Carlos García, Larrazábal (Felipe 83'); Urrutia, Alkiza (Tiko 65'); Joseba Etxeberria, Julen Guerrero, Javi González; Urzaiz. 4-2-3-1.
Mallorca: Leo Franco; Olaizola, Fernando Niño, Nadal, Miguel Soler; Novo (Campano 67'), Engonga, Marcos, Ibagaza; Eto'o (Carlos 85'), Luque (Vicente 78'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Bilbao: No change / Mallorca: Miguel Soler, Engonga for Vicente, Francisco Soler.

Goals:
0-1. 52. Eto'o. Turned Rios and shot low past Lafuente after Ibagaza cross.

The pressure on Mallorca manager Bernd Krauss is off after his team's first league victory of the season at Bilbao. Having scraped through in the Champions League qualifier and lost last week heavily to Las Palmas, Krauss was already being questioned by some fans as to whether he was the right man to replace Luis Aragonés. The German manager has his keeper Leo Franco to thank though for keeping a clean sheet against a Bilbao side who created many chances throughout the match. Franco had to be registered as a non-EU player for this match pending confirmation from the Italian authorities in Argentina that his passport is genuine, but he put that behind him to put in a match winning performance with saves from Urzaiz, Guerrero, Javi González and company.

After a first half dominated by Athletic the visitors came back, and Eto'o latched on to Ibagaza's cross to create a chance from nothing and score what was to be the only goal of the game. Jupp Heynckes, the league's other German born manager, threw on his substitutes but Franco and his defence stood firm. Both teams ended the day on three points, and Mallorca return home to play Arsenal in their first ever appearance at the league stage of the Champions League on Tuesday night.