Athletic and Getafe share the points with the VAR as the protagonist

Distribution of points in San Mamés in a match marked by controversy and the VAR. Enes Ünal put Getafe ahead as soon as the game started and Yuri equalized before the break. The lions, with numerical superiority from the 65th minute due to Cuenca’s controversial expulsion, gradually got worse despite playing with one more.

David Soria had a lot to do with the point scored by his team. The visiting goalkeeper was extremely inspired, especially Vivian’s headers. The set piece was once again the main source of danger for an Athletic team that generated many scoring chances, but once again lacked finishing success.

[+] See the summary of the match

Quique Sánchez Flores’ men arrived in Bilbao with very clear ideas and made things difficult for their rival. Not even the fact of playing with one less for more than half an hour made them lose heart in the match. The azulones knew how to resist until the end without giving up looking for surprise on the counterattack.

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Marcelino faced the visit of Getafe with the same team that he presented days before at Betis. No change, therefore, in the rojiblanca line-up despite the defeat at Villamarín. The Asturian coach kept his bet.

Quique, on the other hand, had to make two variations in his eleven. Arambarri and Maksimovic, key pieces in the blue midfield, were dropped due to physical problems. Gonzalo Villar and Óscar took their place within a system made up of five defenders, three midfielders and two forwards.

Enes Ünal opened the scoring at the first change. Djene crossed and his teammate, in full scoring streak during this League, beat Unai Simón with a header, thus signing his fourteenth goal. The Bilbao reaction was immediate. Berenguer, Williams and Vesga immediately tried their luck against an inspired David Soria. Olivera and Óscar also tried it against the local goal.

The red and white insistence, with Vivian joining the list of Bilbao shooters, ended up bearing fruit after an elaborate move between Muniain and Williams that Yuri culminated with a tremendous kick. Shortly after this 1-1, Athetic requested a penalty from Djene on Vivian that neither the referee nor the VAR appreciated. The Getafe center-back had also previously requested another one from Vencedor.

The second half started with the occasion of Williams and an annulled goal, via VAR, to Olivera for offside. Athletic, after the scare, once again insisted on their offensive. The controversy again splashed the game in a play that, after prior passage through Gil Manzano’s VAR, concluded with Cuenca’s expulsion for knocking down Sancet when he went towards the rival goal.

The lions, in numerical superiority from the 65th minute, intensified their attack while David Soria continued to show off shots from Williams and Vivian. Marcelino chose to introduce Nico Williams first, Raúl García and Villalibre later, and Nico Serrano and Petxa later. Quique chose to gradually introduce Mayoral, Okay and finally Iglesias and Mata. Getafe knew how to close lines well against an Athletic team that got worse with the changes introduced by Marcelino.