In matchday 25 of La Liga, the clash held this Friday ended with a 2-1 victory for the Lions. Gorka Guruzeta opened the scoring with a precise shot into the net, breaking the initial deadlock just 18 minutes into the second half. The equalizer for Elche came from André Silva, who netted a penalty kick in the 68th minute. However, it was Guruzeta who clinched the win for Athletic with his own penalty in the 83rd minute, demonstrating his skill and composure under pressure.
The breakthrough moment came from a superb play by Guruzeta after receiving an assist from Yuri Berchiche, slotting the ball low into the right corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
Guruzeta was undoubtedly the standout player, scoring both goals, firing five shots on target, and completing seven successful passes throughout the match.
Defensively, Yuri Berchiche also shone, effectively clearing two dangerous balls and winning back possession on two occasions.
Coach Ernesto Valverde deployed a 4-5-1 formation with Unai Simón in goal; Iñigo Lekue, Dani Vivian, Aymeric Laporte, and Yuri Berchiche forming the defense; Iñigo Ruiz, Alejandro Rego, Oihan Sancet, Iñaki Williams, and Unai Gómez in midfield; and Gorka Guruzeta leading the attack.
On the other hand, Eder Sarabia’s Elche lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Matías Dituro as the goalkeeper; Léo Pétrot, Víctor Chust, Pedro Bigas, and Germán Valera in defense; Lucas Cepeda, Marc Aguado, Aleix Febas, and Teté Morente in midfield; and André Silva alongside Alvaro Rodriguez upfront.
The match, officiated by Alejandro Hernández Hernández, took place at the iconic San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao.
Looking ahead, Athletic Bilbao’s next league fixture will be away against Rayo Vallecano, while Elche will host Espanyol. With this result, the host team now sits at 34 points in eighth place, while Elche remains at 25 points, holding down the sixteenth position in the standings.
Substitutions for Athletic Bilbao
- 70’ 2T – Alejandro Rego replaced by Mikel Vesga, Unai Gómez substituted for Eder García.
- 79’ 2T – Iñigo Lekue stepped off for Jesús Areso, Iñaki Williams was replaced by Urko Izeta.
Yellow Cards for Athletic Bilbao:
- 9’ 2T – Unai Gómez (Unsporting behavior), 21’ 2T – Iñigo Lekue (Unsporting behavior), 45’ 2T – Eder García (Unsporting behavior).
Substitutions for Elche
- 0’ – Adam Boayar replaced Pedro Bigas.
- 73’ 2T – Alvaro Rodriguez was substituted by Rafael Mir, Teté Morente by Aboubacar Sangaré, Léo Pétrot by David Affengruber, and Oihan Sancet by Robert Navarro.
- 80’ 2T – Germán Valera replaced by Adriá Pedrosa.
- 92’ 2T – Pedro Bigas off for Adam Boayar.
Yellow Cards for Elche:
- 10’ 1T – Aleix Febas (Unsporting behavior), 45’ 1T – Lucas Cepeda (Unsporting behavior), 42’ 2T – Pedro Bigas (Unsporting behavior).