Lunge at Rubi in Bilbao

If San Mamés harbored the last lifeline for Rubi, an eternal survivor to the point of appearing indestructible, his team was in charge of launching him into the sea in the 6th minute. The lunge at the green and white coach can be definitive. His team has a game but blood is very fair. The defense is very soft and an oversight, starring Bartra, decided the match. Rubi, who wore a large bandage on her arm, is still in the catacombs and may not get out of there anymore. They have no alibis.

Athletic had it clear: it started intense, early riser. They looked like marines in a schoolyard. Because the Sevillians were that, friendly boys in defense and without any hit up. The sprinklers went off in the 10th minute, perhaps to awaken the visitors, who continued to sleep. They are so weak that they neither took out the rage nor saw a paltry card.

Rubi tried it with a 4-4-2, with Canales and Lainez (back to the field where he made his debut in First, last year) on the wings and with his little defense sent messages to the poor side Emerson and Pedraza. If the locals already marked their territory in the first stage, the pin was pure frenzy, once Betis took some pride. Unai Simón emerged as the star that begins to be, with a free kick to Fekir. He previously acted two times in a jumbled action in which he got the ball right off the line, but Íñigo Martínez put the cleats on Fekir's knee and the referee checked the penalty through the VAR. Channels, of the little salvageable in the visitors, culminated his bitter afternoon throwing high, stunned when through his x-rays he perceived in the race that Simon was launching himself to the side he had chosen.

Without time to breathe, Villalibre finished off with a spur in the opponent's area. It was an afternoon of heels, since that is how the can was opened, with a foul that Córdoba received without a mark and that was centered for the auction with his sting Íñigo Martínez, his first goal as a lion. He already put a work of art at Betis from his own field with Real.

After the goal, the rojiblancos were confined to their field. The heat and all this atypical weather advised the team to barricade themselves near their area. Raúl García headed the crossbar after a slight push to Pedraza and Unai Simón took a prodigious hand from Borja Iglesias. In the second half, Betis took a small step forward, but not that it gave the feeling of mortal danger.

Garitano: “Europe is very difficult, but the team competes phenomenally”

Athletic Club coach Gaizka Garitano was “very proud of the effort” of his players after the victory against Real Betis in San Mamés (1-0) and assured that, although it is “very difficult” to achieve a European place , maintains hopes of reaching it because the rojiblanco team “competes phenomenally”.

“By not playing the Cup final to enter Europe we have to try this way. In the last five games we have had three wins and two draws in a very difficult situation. I am very proud of the work of the players, who have made a tremendous effort these days, “ the technician explained.

Garitano recalled that Athletic has played its first three games after the break in just six days and stressed that “having two more days off”, like Betis, “is almost like a goal in favor.”

“In the last ten minutes Yuri and Raúl were asking for the change and Iker (Muniain) -substituted in the 74th minute- was dead. The team looks good, but not as it was before the quarantine. We have to keep improving and rest some player because some are busted “he admitted.

Garitano stressed that Athletic is “in a good dynamic”, despite the fact that “the demand is very great”. “We are ready to accept it to be close to those positions in Europe. We have to try to be alive until the end and we are succeeding, even playing three games in six days”, it affected.

Regarding the match, the Derio coach was pleased that this time, unlike what happened against Atlético de Madrid and Eibar, Athletic was able to maintain the advantage on the scoreboard in a match that he considered “could have been finished earlier “if Iñaki Williams and Raúl García had materialized their chances.

“They have had their chances. The game could have ended in a draw and he would not have said anything. It is logical that Rubi says that they have been able to. He is one of the best coaches in First Division. I wish him the best because he is a great guy and a great coach “Garitano concluded.