2-1. Athletic punctures bone in their first preseason game

Athletic has punctured the bone in their first preseason game. The rojiblancos have lost to St. Gallen in the pre-season premiere in Switzerland. On Tuesday the level of demand increases considerably with the confrontation against Dynamo Kiev in Winterthur, 62 kilometers from this beautiful town bordering Germany, and next Saturday comes the toughest test against Borussia Dortmund of the great forward Erling
Haaland. Given what has been seen, the rojiblanco team will have to improve a lot to stand up to these two colossi of European football.

The most positive thing about the afternoon were the details offered by the two Nicos, Williams Y Highlander, in the first period, and see again on a pitch to Iker
Muniain, who had not played since the lost Cup final against Barça on April 17. The one from Txantrea has suffered discomfort in the first phase of the preseason, but is already recovered, the same as Iñigo
Martinez. The central defender from Ondarroa resigned from the Eurocup because he was not “100%” physically or mentally. Today he played a few minutes after relieving Yeray at 69 '.

Marcelino has opted for two eleven differentiated in each of the parts. At the start, the Kybunpark stadium was presented with an eleven formed by Ezkieta in goal, Ander
Cap, Nuñez, They lived Y Lekue in defence, Nico
Williams, Dani
Garcia, Unai
Lopez Y Nico
Highlander in the center of the field with Raul
Garcia and Iñaki
Williams as more advanced men.

St. Gallen, motivated by making their debut in front of their fans and after the one-by-one presentation that the club made before starting the event, began dominating the game and proved to be more shot than Athletic in their fourth preseason game. Even so, the best chance in the first minutes was for the rojiblancos with a good combination play between Raul
Garcia Y Williams that the '9' culminated with the ball on the crossbar of the local goal.

Shortly after, the Navarrese tried the afternoon play with a high pitch seeing that Lawrence it was early. Nico
Highlander he also had a good chance and shortly thereafter he was Lukas, the captain of the Swiss team, the one who shot from outside the area. It was the advance of the goal of St. Gallen. Kiss took advantage of a loose ball inside the area to beat with the left to Ezkieta and make the 1-0.

Iñaki
Williams Y Nuñez They had good opportunities to balance the score, but again the local team was the one who got it right with a header from Elie youan to visiting networks in a strategy play.

Athletic managed to close the gap in the 38th minute with an own goal from Fazliji after a pass from Nico
Williams, another of the young people who wrote down details in the first forty-five minutes. Babic had another good opportunity that ruined Ezkieta on the edge of rest. Thus ended the first half.

Marcelino has changed almost his entire team after passing through the changing rooms. It just stayed Nico
Highlander. The formation in the second was formed by Julen
Agirrezabala, Petxarroman, Yeray, Walls, Balenziaga, Berenguer, Beñat
Meadows, Victor, Highlander, Sancet Y Villalibre.

Yeray lost the ball in the 59th minute to provoke a good chance for the Swiss. Perhaps the best of this second period from the rojiblanco point of view was a good play starring Sancet that the doorman of the premises repelled. Muniain relieved Serrano in the 59th minute Iñigo did the same with Yeray ten minutes later.

(+) See the summary of the match:

With so much change, the second part left few details for reading, something that on the other hand is usually common in these preseason friendlies. Athletic will be tested again on Tuesday, already with a much more important rival.