La Real won the San Mamés derby with all justice. Imanol's team was superior from start to finish against an Athletic who did not finish between the three suits. He Portu's early goal was enough and left over for the txuri urdin team to end his losing streak.
There was no color in this last derby at the rojiblanco stadium. The visitors controlled the situation at all times and annulled a rojiblanco team that did not know what they were playing at any time. Remiro, a goalkeeper trained in Lezama, left Bilbao without hardly having to intervene.
The Gipuzkoans, who accumulated six league games without winning with three consecutive defeats, annulled a rojiblanco team unable to transmit anything. La Real breathes calmer after this victory and puts Athletic in a good mess. His coach, without a doubt, is questioned again.
Garitano faced the derby with two novelties with respect to the team that had drawn at Villarreal. Nuñez entered the axis of the rear in place of the injured Yeray and Villalibre exerted nine with Williams displaced to the right wing and De Marcos on the bench. Vencedor and Vesga repeated in the double pivot and Raúl García returned to stay on the bench.
Imanol, for his part, made up to four changes in relation to the last clash in Anoeta against Atlético. All of them from the center of the field forward. Guevara and Guridi, without Silva, were in the midfield with Merino, Oyarzabal returned to the competition after his injury hitting the left wing and Isak was at the top to the detriment of Willian José. The departure of the Real was decisive.
The Donostiarras, better placed and more fought in the derby, soon put themselves ahead on the scoreboard. Merino and Oyarzabal made a great play on the wing that culminated in Portu with a point-blank shot. 0-1 at minute five of play.
The lions, somewhat confused and uncoordinated in this start, were gradually settling on the ground before a Real who stopped creating danger above. Remiro, it is true, barely struggled before the break. Efficiency in the final passes is not one of the virtues of this Athletic de Garitano.
The second half started with Zubimendi for Guevara at La Real. The Donostiarras, in the manner and manner of the beginning, thoroughly squeezed an Athletic with no response capacity. Garitano, aware of the situation, made a triple change. Unai López, Sancet and Morcillo thus entered the field.
The visitors, curiously, went to more from there. Isak was able to make the second on a free kick that bounced off the crossbar. Oyarzabal put Unai Simón to the test shortly after. Imanol, with the derby under control, began to pull from the bench to become strong behind against an inoperative Athletic. Sagnan and Merquelanz entered first. Barrenetxea after.
Raúl García was Garitano's penultimate bullet out of obligation, given that the newly incorporated Unai López had to be substituted injured. Kenan Kodro was the last. Imanol, for his part, gave air to the lead with Willian José. The decor of the derby, despite everything, did not change.
[+] Look at the summary with the most outstanding actions of the match: