First Division - Day 29

Athletic Bilbao 3 - Betis 1

Athletic: Iraizoz; Bóveda, Gurpegui, Laporte (Etxeita 79‘), Lekue; San José, Mikel Rico; Susaeta, Raúl García (Aduríz 63‘), Muniain (Elustondo 66‘); Sabin. 4-2-3-1.
Betis: Adán; Molinero (Cejudo 79‘), Pezzella, Bruno, Montoya; Joaquín, N’Diaye, Petros (Dani Ceballos 50‘), Musonda; Jorge Molina (Fabián 50’), Rubén Castro. 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 34. Sabin. Chested down long San José pass and turned shot past Adán.
2-0. 44. Mikel Rico. Drilled shot inside near post after Muniain header blocked.
3-0. 50. Sabin. Poked ball back in to net after keeper saved Mikel Rico volley.
3-1. 85. Rubén Castro. Far post header past Iraizoz after Aduríz played on corner.

Yellow cards: Raúl García 19, Rubén Castro 49’.

Athletic Bilbao stay in sixth spot, just a point behind Sevilla, after a 3-1 victory over Betis on Sunday. With games coming thick and fast, Valverde rested several key players, and Rubén Castro almost took advantage when he fired a good chance over the top early on. Make-shift centre forward Sabin chested on a long pass from San José to open the scoring though with just over half an hour gone, and with half time approaching Mikel Rico drilled home the second as several players stopped expecting the referee to award a penalty for hand ball by Molinero. Five minutes after the restart Sabin got his second of the evening after Adán could only push out a volley from Rico, and only a good save from the keeper prevented Muniain from adding to the scoreline. With the game coming to a close Castro hit the post, and from the resulting corner he headed in a late consolation for his side, but it came to prevent a first defeat in seven games for the Andalusians.