In a tense encounter on Friday evening, Athletic Bilbao emerged victorious with a 2-1 win against Elche in La Liga’s 25th round. Gorka Guruzeta broke the deadlock after 18 minutes into the second half, launching a shot into the net that left the Elche goalkeeper powerless.
Elche leveled the score just five minutes later when André Silva converted a penalty, creating tension in the final moments of the match. However, Guruzeta turned the tide again for the Lions by scoring another penalty in the 43rd minute of the second half, sealing the victory.
Guruzeta was undoubtedly the standout performer, netting both goals and attempting five shots on target while completing seven successful passes, earning him the title of man of the match. Defensively, Yuri Berchiche also made a significant impact, with two clearances and two ball recoveries to keep Elche at bay.
The head coach of Athletic Bilbao, Ernesto Valverde, opted for a 4-5-1 formation with Unai Simón guarding the net; Iñigo Lekue, Dani Vivian, Aymeric Laporte, and Yuri Berchiche forming the backline; Iñigo Ruiz, Alejandro Rego, Oihan Sancet, Iñaki Williams, and Unai Gómez controlling the midfield; and Gorka Guruzeta as the lone striker.
On the opposing side, Eder Sarabia’s team lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Matías Dituro in goal; 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 and Alvaro Rodriguez leading the attack.
The match referee was Alejandro Hernández Hernández as the teams clashed in the iconic San Mamés stadium.
Looking ahead, Athletic Bilbao will face Rayo Vallecano on the road, while Elche prepares to host Espanyol. With this result, Athletic Bilbao accumulates 34 points, now sitting in eighth place, whereas Elche remains at 25 points in sixteenth position.
Substitutions for Athletic Bilbao
70’ 2H – Alejandro Rego out for Mikel Vesga, Unai Gómez out for Eder García
79’ 2H – Iñigo Lekue out for Jesús Areso, Iñaki Williams out for Urko Izeta
Yellow cards for Athletic Bilbao:
9’ 2H Unai Gómez (Unsporting behavior), 21’ 2H Iñigo Lekue (Unsporting behavior), 45’ 2H Eder García (Unsporting behavior)
Substitutions for Elche
0’ – Adam Boayar out for Pedro Bigas
73’ 2H – Alvaro Rodriguez out for Rafael Mir, Teté Morente out for Aboubacar Sangaré, Léo Pétrot out for David Affengruber, Oihan Sancet out for Robert Navarro
80’ 2H – Germán Valera out for Adriá Pedrosa
92’ 2H – Pedro Bigas out for Adam Boayar
Yellow cards for Elche:
10’ 1H Aleix Febas (Unsporting behavior), 45’ 1H Lucas Cepeda (Unsporting behavior), 42’ 2H Pedro Bigas (Unsporting behavior)