Athletic beats Southampton with solvency

ANDl Athletic has started with a triumph his mini-tour by England after imposing on Southampton by 1-3. The lions have signed a solvent performancee confirming the solidity of the block and the verticality in attack, despite having certain problems with the ball. The strategy and the transitions have been key, since in this way the three goals of the Bilbao team have arrived. Marcelino has lined up an eleven made up mostly of players aiming for substitutes in the league championship, leaving Sancet and Yeray without a single minute.

The English started the match a little better, taking the initiative and arriving several times in the vicinity of the goal of Agirrezabala, but without disturbing the Gipuzkoan goal. Athletic was removing that domain, generating two good situations with robberies in the pressure. First it was Villalibre, who almost reached a loan to the goalkeeper who fell short, and then Zarraga, asking for a possible penalty for takedown in the rival area. Muniain’s one-off appearances improved the team, despite being at a lower physical level than the rest. With his movements inwards, the captain disordered the rival and gave pass options to the couple Vesga-Zarraga. From those supports, the people of Bilbao managed to carry the ball from one side to the other with some fluidity and generate advantageous situations. In fact, the Navarrese touched the 0-1 when hunting a ball in the area in a play in which he chose to cut rather than finish.

Game improvement

That improvement in the game allowed them to reach the rival area with some danger, forcing certain advantages or corners. In one of them it was 0-1 when finishing Vesga a good center of the captain about half an hour of play. He both spurred on the lions, who disturbed with a shot of Raul that went high after another corner. Near the break, Nico Williams stole a ball in the medullary and assisted Villalibre to sign the 0-2 with a great left-handed shot.

The second half started the same as the first. The Southampton pressed and in an error in exit of the Athletic cut distances on the scoreboard thanks to both Walcott. An oversight of Petxarroman after a failure of Black pudding it was used by the English to catch his back and score. Shortly after, Ezkieta avoided the tie in an action to Obafemi’s space. There the transitions appeared again, hallmark of the team of Marcelino. Robbery near the area, support of Raúl García, opening for Petxarroman what throws at Nico Williams per band and Bednarek deflects the center of the latter by putting 1-3 on the electronic.

Although the locals tried with a shot from Valery and a ball into space that saved Iñigo, the Athletic he hardly suffered in the final stretch. In this way he closed a solvent victory, but not a brilliant one. The sensations offered confirm that the block that the Asturian has formed is very difficult to demolish and that it is very annoying under pressure. However, it seems that he still has room for improvement when forced to build with the ball. Tomorrow they face their last match of the preseason, in what will be a dress rehearsal against an elite rival like Klopp’s Liverpool.