Asier Villalibre once again scored a goal in Anoeta that allowed Athletic to join. Nothing new so far this season. Whenever the Gernika striker sees the door, the lions draw or win.
The statistic is repeated up to six times so far this season. Twice during Gaizka Garitano's stage and four with Marcelino, divided into a pair in the League, one in the Cup and another in the Super Cup.
A relevant fact, in any case, since the Buffalo has spent more minutes on the bench than at grass level. With the deriotarra coach he participated in 16 league games this season. Ten to replace a teammate and six as a starter.
With Marcelino he has only missed two commitments in the so-called tournament of regularity. In the remaining ten he has played from the beginning in a couple of crashes and in the remaining eight he has started on the bench.
His participation in this edition of the Cup includes his presence in the five matches played by Athletic until reaching the final on April 17 at La Cartuja against Barça.. Villalibre was a starter in the first three crosses and a substitute in the two semifinals. The lions, logically seen that they are still alive in the KO tournament, won all the crosses in which the Gernika striker entered the starting eleven.
Ibiza (1-2), Alcoyano (1-2) and Betis (1-1, winning on penalties) constitute his background as a starter with a scored goal, that of the temporary draw in Alcoy. Then, against Levante, he started on the bench both in San Mamés and in the Ciutat de Valencia.
Marcelino also had his contest in the Super Cup. In the semifinal crossroads against Real Madrid, Villalibre joined the game in the 78th minute with 1-2 on the scoreboard and in the final against Barça, settled with a 2-3 victory, he scored at the limit of regulation time the tie at two that allowed Marcelino's team to go into extra time.
The rojiblanco striker, who in the Cup final of this last Saturday against Real corresponding to last season entered in the 75th minute for Dani García, has left his mark in the form of a goal in the three competitions in which they have taken part the Lions.
Villalibre's goals, at least those of this season, almost always go far from San Mamés. This League, with Garitano still on the bench, signed the equalizer at the Coliseum in Getafe (1-1) and scored one of the two Bilbao goals at Mestalla (2-2).
After the change of coach, the Gernika striker debuted his account in the league with Marcelino against Granada at home. That goal marked the momentary 1-0 of a clash that ended at 2-1. The next and last target for the moment was achieved last Wednesday in Anoeta. A goal that served to add another point.
Of the 16 league games played this season by the Bilbao team with Búfalo on the pitch during the Garitano stage, Athletic lost eight, tied two and won six. The baggage with Marcelino in the ten matches that he has participated in the regularity tournament (he missed against Barça and Valencia in San Mamés) is three victories, five draws and two defeats. Villalibre's role, in any case, is not easy at all, since most of the time he participates with the advanced game