For historical, Diego López – AS.com

Until the 24 years will extend Athletic’s worst streak in history out, the time it takes without winning in a Espanyo stadiuml. Between the raked Raúl de Tomás and the motivated Iñaki Williams, the main person responsible for Cornellà remaining immaculate against the lions was one of the few players who had the use of reason that January 11, 1998: Diego Lopez. About to turn 40, the goalkeeper was miraculous.

It bore the signature of Raúl de Tomás the 1-0 at halftime, from a penalty, but Diego López had also been co-authors, with his first two providential interventions –to star the paradón to Sancet’s volley–, Sergi Gómez and Cabrera, who in seconds went from villain to hero, for a scandalous loss that he amended by saving Muniain’s goal on the same goal line.

He had even mastered besieged, Athletic before the penalty by Vesga’s hand transformed by the ‘pichichi’ parakeet. Nothing had been noticed on the lawn of the RCDE Stadium the five changes of Marcelino, who led the Williams brothers to coincide for the first time at the start and that minutes before the start had to do without Íñigo Martínez due to a stomach problem. Halfway through Vicente Moreno’s plan, with lion tamers –Morlanes, Darder and Melendo– combined with whips: Aleix Vidal, Embarba, Pedrosa and Melamed.

The award, however, came to Athletic when the match was more equal, at the restart.. Iñaki Williams scored it, although half a goal could be awarded by Lekue for his theft, run to the baseline and sensational pass of the death. Cornellà fell silent in the celebration of the forward, who returned to the stadium after that chapter of racist screams that two subjects had uttered to him in January 2020.

He spurred the tie to the lions, who accumulated very clear chances. One from Vencedor, another from Lekue, and new miraculous saves by Diego López, now in a point-blank shot by Muniain, almost at the end in a very clear shot by Berenguer. The vibrant party was only stopped by the expulsion of Raúl de Tomás, for allegedly attacking Yeray. In the end, San Diego through, two teams on a roll are still doing so.