There was a time when each penalty awarded in favor of the Athletic it was martyrdom. The fans closed their eyes and did not want to watch the outcome. Specialists such as Larrazabal, Garitano or Dani. Classy footballers poured in like Iraola or And this and they did not finish taking hold. Until it came Aritz Aduriz. The execution before the Valladolid that went around the world, the maximum tension in front of the Girona, the three successes before the Genk in his historic European repoker … Although he also had his faults, his balance is 24 out of 32. He said goodbye to this facet with the bitterness of the error of Majorca in the first days.
Raúl García has taken the witness. The swollen of Athletic can be calm. 15 out of 17 is his business card as a lion from eleven meters (88.2%). As a sample, the seven pitches without failure of last season. With the addition that six of those maximum penalties meant that the Bilbao team released the scoreboard. The Navarrese does not understand pressure. Of course, there is a curiosity. You haven't released any while Aduriz in the countryside. They are both consummate experts in the field, but the chevrons are the chevrons.
TO Raul it could be baptized as the specialist. Rictus serious, fixes his eyes on the goalkeeper and tries to deceive. He maintains a great relationship with the goal and penalties become a splendid opportunity to improve his numbers. Despite everything, the former Athletic he did not throw any of the seven maximum penalties that the Athletic in your favor in your first exercise in Bilbao.
He opened the can in the 2016-17 academic year. Three out of three to start. Targets before the UD Las Palmas, Málaga and Real Sociedad. More of the same one campaign later. Three out of three. Now facing Betis, Getafe and again in a derby against the people of Donostia.
The nickname of fatal point did not appear in the dictionary of Raúl García… until the 2018-19 campaign. Although it wasn't that bad. And is that Rulli deflected the penalty Anoeta, but the midfielder took the rebound and sent it to the net. This way the failures get along better. The only shot that did not end in a goal was against him. Lightning in San Mamés. Raul ran through the same site as in the derby and Alberto Garcia the lesson was known. Yeray was close to punishing the second, however the goal intervened again. Attempts against Huesca and the Celtic They ended up at the bottom of the goal.
Which brings us to the seven unblemished releases of the recent season: Alavés, Leganés, Granada, Celta, Villarreal, Eibar and Mallorca. For a total of 15 goals, the Navarrese personal record. He even allied himself with him Var in front of the Nasrids. Rui Silva it was stopped, however technology entered the scene to grant a second chance to Athletic. Raul He picked up the ball again and untied it.
Full to seven. No rojiblanco player throughout history has managed to score more penalties without failure in the same League without missing any, according to the Bilbao club on its website. Zarra He went on to sign eight goals in a row from eleven meters in the 50-51, although he missed the ninth.
And then there are the maximum penalties outside of regulation time. Up to three penalties have disputed the Athletic with Raúl García on the grass. On the 22nd he was in charge of opening the series of pitches in all three. Who said fear? He was right, although it was worthless on the fateful European night of the Sánchez Pizjuán in April 2016. The two remaining precedents are closer, both in the Copa del Rey whose end is pending. The Navarrese player shot in Elche, but the lions sang victory in agony. And on the third, double joy. Raul marked in Tenerife and the Athletic went ahead.