Athletic Bilbao 1 - 0 Villarreal: Athletic Bilbao end Villarreal's unbeaten run - 7M sport

Athletic Bilbao 1 - 0 Villarreal: Athletic Bilbao end Villarreal's unbeaten run



Posted Monday, November 21, 2016 by PA

Athletic Bilbao moved within two points of fourth-placed Villarreal in LaLiga as Raul Garcia's goal midway through the second half proved the difference at San Mames.

Villarreal had only lost one of their previous 11 league games but slipped to a 1-0 defeat in Bilbao, and arguably the home side could have had more, with Inaki Williams hitting a post minutes before Garcia struck from close range.

Athletic moved up one place to seventh, and are now only four points behind Sevilla in third, after a game which only came alive in the second half.

The attacking players on both sides struggled to make any first-half impact against the tight, well-organised defences facing them.

Neither side registered a shot on target in a dour first period, but the first sign of life came in the 52nd minute.

A neat pass gave Williams space to work in the inside right position and his cut-back found the run forward of Iker Muniain, who aimed for Sergio Asenjo's right-hand corner with his low shot but was just off target.

Two minutes later and the match had its first shot on target as Samu Castillejo's long-range drive was comfortably fielded by Athletic goalkeeper Kepa.

Aritz Aduriz then climbed above the Villarreal defence to head goalwards, but his effort came down on the roof of the net as the game suddenly livened up, with Athletic looking especially sprightly.

Williams came agonisingly close after an hour when he latched on to Garcia's pass and took the ball around Asenjo, but could only hit the base of a post with his shot from a tight angle.

The opening goal the hosts deserved arrived in the 67th minute as a delightful first touch and turn from Aduriz earned him space to shoot. Asenjo parried the veteran's low shot, but Garcia gobbled up the rebound from six yards for his fourth LaLiga goal of the season.

Villarreal coach Fran Escriba brought on Cedric Bakambu and Alexandre Pato in a bid to shake things up, but the former fluffed a good chance from close range in the 75th minute.

Asenjo denied Aduriz three times in quick succession as Athletic tried to kill the match off, while at the other end Kepa got down well to hold on to a Pato shot from the edge of the box after he dribbled the ball from left to right along the edge of the area.



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