First Division - Day 11

Athletic Bilbao 2 – Espanyol 1

Athletic: Iraizoz; De Marcos, Gurpegi, Etxeita, Balenziaga; San José, Beñat (Elustondo 88‘); Iñaki Williams (Bóveda 66‘), Raúl García, Sabín (Susaeta 46‘); Aduríz. 4-2-3-1.
Espanyol: Pau López; Javi López, Alvaro González, Enzo Roco, Fuentes (Mamadou Sylla 75’); Víctor Sánchez, Pape Diop; Hernán Pérez (Abraham 91‘), Marco Asensio, Víctor Alvarez (Burgui 66’); Caicedo. 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 08. Williams. Lifted De Marcos pass over marker and volleyed shot past Pau.
1-1. 51. Hernán Pérez. Volley past Iraizoz after Sánchez lobbed return pass over.
2-1. 64. Raúl García. Looped header on fall past keeper from Susaeta centre.

Yellow cards: Víctor Alvarez 10’, Gurpegi 56’, Diop 56’, Caicedo 56’, Fuentes 60’, Beñat 73’, Javi López 86’, Mamadou 93’.

Athletic Bilbao kept up their recent run of form with a 2-1 victory over Espanyol in this Sunday’s mid-day game. Iñaki Williams put the Basque side in front in the eighth minute with an impressive goal which was equally as good as Neymar’s second, the young forward lifting a De Marcos pass over his marker and volleying a shot on the turn into the far top corner of the net. Hernán Pérez went close at the other end, but Sabín felt he should have had a penalty when he was bundled over in the area, and either side of half time Aduríz and Williams fired shots just wide of the mark. Some six minutes in to the second half Hernán made it all square after running on to a Víctor Sánchez return pass to drill a shot past Iraizoz, but a quarter of an or so later Raúl García kept his balance long enough to connect with Susaeta’s long centre and steer a looping header wide of Pau López. That took Athletic’s unbeaten run to six games, and they are now only two points off the European spots.