Bilbao (EFE) .
The Basque club is in seventh place, which is the main objective of Ernesto Valverde’s men for this league championship final.
Those two goals, a header from the international for Ghana and a beautiful individual move from Navarre, reflected Athletic’s superiority.
Celta remains concerned about their not too much advantage over relegation, which will be four or five points when the day ends, with three days still to play.
Home advantage from minute 5
With the visitors without Aspas and the locals without their famous central defenders, Yeray and Iñigo Martínez, the game soon turned to the local team, who opened the scoring in minute 5.
The Athletic players celebrate the second goal against Celta de Vigo. EFE/Luis Tejido.
It was with a header from the older Williams, moving ahead of his Ghana teammate Aidoo, to a measured cross to the penalty spot from De Marcos.
The ‘lions’ continued to insist, asking for a penalty in a cast down Muniain’s bottom line.
It was not the only time that the rojiblancos called for a maximum foul, since, much later in the first half, they also requested it in a Berenguer cross that clearly hit Oscar Rodríguez’s hand.
Neither of them was worthy of sanction for Melero López.
Celta responded with a counter that De Marcos aborted, crossing in front of Strand Larsen when the Norwegian was preparing to shoot with many options against Simón.
A center-shot from Berenguer and a ‘slalom’ from Gabri Veiga kept the give and take between the two teams. Although with more arrivals and more danger Athletic.
Great saves from the two goalkeepers
Although the first save of the afternoon had to be made by Unai Simón, clearing a strong shot from distance from the talented sky-blue youth squad from Porriño for a corner.
The second, and even better, was starred by Iván Villar. Which implausibly cleared another header, this time from Yuri, almost as impossible to stop as the one from Williams’s goal.
Celta players celebrate their goal against Athletic in San Mamés. EFE/Luis Tejido.
That action on the brink of halftime put an end to Athletic’s final siege of the first half, with notable actions by Sancet and Iñaki Williams.
Two substitutions for Celta at halftime, together with the first half of the injured Fran Beltrán, confirmed the best first half for Bilbao.
The second half was opened by a play by rogues in an out of bounds by Muniain and Williams, who caught almost all of Celta asleep but also all their teammates.
The changes began to pay off for Celta, since in a play between De la Torre and Miguel Rodríguez, who was the one who crossed the Norwegian, Strand Larsen equalized by placing a header outside Simón’s chances.
Celta threatened to make it 1-2, but Mingueza did not find the final pass in a very well-carried counterattack by Carles Pérez.
Berenguer returns the advantage to Athletic
They were the best visiting minutes, but the one who scored again was Athletic in a double play by Berenguer.
First to get the sky-blues into their area and then to decide with a cross shot to the far post after getting rid of Mingueza and De la Torre.
Celta tried to respond with two long shots from Javi Galán and Gabri Veiga, but the closest to scoring in a similar action was Berenguer, who smashed a great shot from the front into the crossbar.
And Athletic was still able to score the third again, but Vesga, already in the 92nd minute, went incredibly high with a free header at the far post from a cross on a strategic play by Zarraga.
In those last minutes, in which Ander Herrera had to retire due to injury, who barely spent a quarter of an hour on the pitch, Celta, who have barely added 5 points out of the last 27, did not even have opportunities to tie, which forces him to have to wait to specify the permanence.
On the other hand, Athletic, which ends a four-game streak without winning with three defeats, is once again excited about Europe. The great longing that has not been achieved in the last five years.
- Datasheet:
2 – Athletic: Unai Simón; De Marcos, Vivian, Paredes, Yuri; Dani García (Zarraga, m.82), Sancet; Nico Williams (Herrera, m.59; Vesga, m.74), Muniain (Adu Ares, m.82), Berenguer; and Iñaki Williams (Raúl García, m.82). - 1 – Celtic: Iván Villar; Kevin Vázquez (Mingueza, m.46), Aidoo, Unai Núñez, Javi Galán; Carles Pérez, Beltrán (De la Torre, m.23), Óscar Rodríguez, Cervi (Miguel Rodríguez, m.46); Gabri Veiga (Patience, m.77) and Strand Larsen (Seferovic, m.61).
- Goals: 1-0, m.5: Iñaki Williams. 1-1, m.52: Strand Larsen. 2-1, m.54: Berenguer.
- Referee: Mario Melero López (Andalusian Committee). He showed a yellow card to the locals Paredes (m.34), Dani García (m.81) and Raúl García (m.90), and to the visitor De la Torre (m.65).
- VAR referee: José Luis Munuera Montero (Andalusian Committee).
- Incidents: Game of day 35 played in San Mamés before 40,759 spectators. official data. Before the game, a representation of the more than 800 members who have completed 50 and 75 years of loyalty to the club was honored. EFE
- Ramon Orosa
