The San Mamés derby only has one color

Unappealable. Athletic went over a Real to which the stopped ball and the accumulated wear and tear in Europe took its toll. The 4-0 clearly reflects the manifest superiority of a team from Bilbao who, without the score even having moved, wasted a penalty.

Marcelino and Imanol had a real game of chess until the break. Everything was more or less under the control of both parties until Sancet appeared on the scene. The Navarrese, who came on to replace Raúl García in the 62nd minute, was the piece that was going to cause first the check and then the checkmate to a rival without the ability to adequately defend the strategy or sufficient strength to launch himself in search of the tie.

The goals began to fall to Remiro little by little. The Navarrese goalkeeper, a hero until the break when he stopped Muniain’s maximum penalty, could do little or nothing when the lions let their hair down. There were four, but the San Sebastian could have taken some more.

five changes

Marcelino made five changes to his eleven compared to the one he had just lost in Mallorca. De Marcos, Iñigo Martínez and Yuri returned to the defense, Berenguer formed inside right-handed and Iñaki Williams accompanied Raúl García upstairs.

Imanol also introduced the same relays in his line-up in relation to the one he put in the running in Leipzig. Remiro, whistled from the moment he set foot in San Mamés, returned under the sticks, Gorosabel and Ahien formed on the wings and Zubimendi and David Silva entered the center of the field. Imanol, unlike what happened in Germany, returned to his usual game system, banishing the idea of ​​repeating with a line of five behind. Isak, by the way, fell off the list.

Athletic’s departure was explosive. Very advanced pressure against a Real team that didn’t even flinch. The txuri urdin defense, especially their central defenders and goalkeeper, took it patiently and did not risk the pass at any time. Bilbao’s recovery, when it occurred, did not sometimes translate either.

Merino and Portu, curiously, opened the hostilities at the level of occasions. Dani García, Berenguer and Vesga arranged after their shots. The controversy arose in the 28th minute when a shot by Williams hit Silva’s hand and the referee, after going to VAR, awarded a penalty. Remiro, to whom San Mamés had previously chanted “how bad you are”, managed to deflect Muniain’s shot. Shortly after, the Navarrese goalkeeper also put in a good hand to Yuri’s shot.

The rojiblancos faced the second half with new energy. Controlling the center of the field, the lions began to accumulate arrivals through Berenguer, Williams and Raúl García. Marcelino, despite everything, chose to pull from the bench. Vencedor and Sancet entered like this for a shocked Vesga and Raúl García.

These two changes and the set piece were Athletic’s solution. Vivian, to a corner from Berenguer, and Sancet, to a corner kick from Muniain, made it 2-0 in just four minutes. Williams, after a precise counterattack between Sancet and Berenguer, signed the third ten minutes from the end. Muniain, for his part, arrived in time to amend his mistake from the penalty spot by signing the fourth to a great pass from Sancet. San Mamés sang victory again in the derby.