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Athletic beat Rayo Vallecano, without preservatives or colorings, without emollients. At the Williams brothers’ party, the Madrid team was not too shy and never found Isi or Unai López prudish and naive when they released the ball that the Rojiblancos stole from them to thwart their game plan. After their victory, Valverde’s team consolidated their position in the noble zone of the table.
4
Unai Simón, Lekue, Daniel Vivian (Peru Nolaskoain, Min. 83), Aitor Paredes, De Marcos (Yuri, Min. 74), Williams (Berenguer, Min. 80), O. Sancet (Muniain, Min. 74), Ander Herrera, Nico Williams, Ruiz de Galarreta (Benat Prados, Min. 81) and Guruzeta
0
Dimitrievski, Abdul Moomin, Luis Espino, Lejeune, Balliu, Álvaro García, Unai López (De Frutos, Min. 54), Isi (Trejo, Min. 54), Pathé Ciss, Óscar Valentín (Kike, Min. 54) and Sergio Camello (Falcao, min. 68)
Goals 1-0 Min 23: Guruzeta. 2:0 minutes. 47: Luis Espino (S.). 3:0 minutes. 63: Williams. 4:0 minutes. 67: Nico Williams.
referee Francisco José Hernández Maeso
Yellow cards Daniel Vivian (min. 6), Luis Espino (min. 31) and Falcao (min. 86)
The less pressure you have, the more pressure Athletic applies. And it’s going well. Advanced pressure is the religion that all players in Valverde’s team profess. Anyone who wears red and white cannot be an agnostic or an atheist. Not everyone prays the Lord’s Prayer in the dressing room before the game, but they know the commandments that Valverde laid down and which can be summed up in one: Apply pressure in the 80th minute as if it were the first. Of course, this game has its risks and it doesn’t always go well, because there are teams that know how to get out of this pressure and when they do, they have many meters of advantage that they can run and enjoy what is in Sometimes professional football is fun too. But Rayo Vallecano, who played in San Mamés, was not one of those teams. He lasted 22 minutes in which he had already withstood the pressure of Bilbao with several defeats and even had a goal from Guruzeta disallowed because of a very fair offside position by Iñaki Williams. But that’s it.
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Rayo wanted to come out with the ball played and Iñaki came under pressure, Balliu got scared, Sancet stole the ball who passed it to Guruzeta who was able to cleverly adapt to the post and beat Dimitriesvsky. With the can open, with the embers close to his sardine and reassured in his vision of pressure, Athletic became more and more convinced of the qualities of his style of play. And he continued like that until, right at the start of the second half, Sancet stole the ball again very close to the goal area, extending the run of Iñaki Williams, who shot or crossed, who knows what, although Pacha did I don’t know either. Espino, who stuck his leg in to confuse his goalkeeper and increase the disadvantage of Rayo, who actually had a different plan for the second half, saw it dashed in a flash.
The party of the Williams brothers began, who celebrated Nico’s renewal the day before in the best possible way. The pressure was no longer as necessary against a resigned opponent, but nobody at Athletic stopped running, especially the strikers. Sancet paused when necessary and set the pace, as in the action where he looked for Guruzeta, who was coming from the left and had no one to follow him. The red and white center forward played as a winger, he watched Iñaki’s arrival from the other side and his horizontal pass found the right response from his teammate. Even more partying with Iñaki and Nico.
But there was still the icing on the cake that the little boy added when he was met by Lekue, took two steps into the penalty area and finished with a screw towards the opponent’s post, where Dimitrievski could do nothing. The game ended there with Athletic’s permission, and even the big Rayo fans agreed. The victory confirms Valverde’s belief that he has made his team a reliable and solid group and has also established himself at the top of the rankings.
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