Athletic beats Alavés with two goals from Villalibre and reaches the quarterfinals

Asier Villalibrewith two beautiful goals that defeated the Alavés in San Mamés, led to Athletic Club to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Reya classification deserved by Ernesto Valverde’s team but also fought for by Luis García Plaza’s team, who were able to tie just before the final 2-0.

‘Búfalo’ opened the scoring around the half hour mark of the clash with a shot that is beginning to be a trademark of the house, a very hard left-footed shot to which Antonio Sivera could not even react. The striker had received from Oihan Sancet and then surpassed Nahuel Tenaglia in the fight for the ball.

The second goal of Athletic It was a beautiful red and white combinationinitiated by Alex Berenguer, with a subtle through-ball to Oscar de Marcos and a no less brilliant cross from the Bilbao second captain for Villalibre to finish at will, and with a straight shot, at the far post.

This triumph is Athletic’s sixth consecutive, which only knows victory in 2024 and has already gone a total of 14 games without losing. Four of them have been the four rounds that have been played in the Copa del Rey, in which they will be in the quarterfinal draw for another year. The last four years he was also in the semifinals.

Alavés, full of rotations like Athletic, may have been the rival that has most challenged Valverde’s team for victory in his exceptional streak. So far in 2024, for sure. If Samu Omorodion and/or Giuliano Simeone had not metn of Julen Agirrezabala’s huge chartswho saved his team from 1-1 at the beginning of the second half, perhaps things would have ended differently.

Although before the minute Berenguer had tried a bicycle kick in the visitors’ area, with a cross from Sancet, the match started evenly and without much rhythm. With Vitoria’s second unit standing up to Athletic’s starting block, which seemed to miss the power on the Williams wings, since Ernesto Valverde gave the little Williams rest to starteven though he is the oldest in the African Cup.

In that initial scenario came the best chance for the visitors in the first half, a shot without much angle but very hard from Hagi, who saved well from Agirrezabala which he rectified at the exit. There, due to the long changes in direction to what is now the Romanian extreme, the Alava danger came. But the lions began to stretch and, supported by the immense work of Prados, who swept everything, and launched by Sancet, they soon took control of the game.

They lacked finesse in the first opportunities, Muniain and Herrera in two failed shots and Sancet in a header, but Athletic improved and from midway through the first half each arrival was a chance to score. The first, furthermore, was inside. A hard left-footed shot from Villalibre, which he received from Sancet and won the action due to Tenaglia’s insistence. A great goal from the great absentees in that first half: the Williams.

The final stretch of the first half was a red-and-white siege, which did not end the match heading into the second because Sivera increased his shot from Berenguer’s front line, after a beautiful pass from Sancet.

Less successful was the Navarrese midfielder, who sent a good pass from Villalibre into limbo after the ‘Búfalo’ had recovered the ball in a brilliant individual action. A cross from De Marcos that was aiming for a goal pass to Villalibre that Tenaglia cut out, and a cross shot that went a few centimeters wide to Munain closed the local siege until the second half.

Although the continuation started two great opportunities for Vitoria and two saves from Agirrezabala after almost point-blank shots from Samu and Giulano Simeone. The first finished off at will a cross from the left by Parada that was poisoned by touching a local player; and Cholo’s son finished off a pass even more easily on the edge of the small area from the under-21 international striker. Giuliano couldn’t believe the intervention of the Gipuzkoan goalkeeper.

The 1-1 that was planned for those minutes in ‘La Catedral’ did not come and Alavés paid dearly for itsince Athletic did take advantage of their first. A perfect center from De Marcos to the head of Villallibre that the striker finished off with a straight shot. A subtle hit from Berenguer seeking the depth of De Marcos.

It is the sixth goal and the third double in this edition of the ‘Bufalo’ Cup for Gernika, who already scored two goals in the 0-3 against Cayón in El Sardinero in the second round and another two against Eibar in Ipurua in the round of 32 at the end.

Alavés did not wrinklewhich in a quarter of an hour has caused more danger to Athletic than anything it had suffered so far in 2024. The third chance for the visitors after the break was a great cross from Hagi from the right looking for Samu at the far post that cut, very well placed, Paredes.

That’s as far as he came in a meeting, It faded away between the carousel of changes between both teams and the clear distance on the scoreboard.

Datasheet:

2 – Athletic Club: Agirrezabala; De Marcos, Vivian, Paredes, Lekue (Yuri, m.70); Prados (Jauregizar, m.86), Herrera; Berenguer (Nico, m.70), Sancet (Unai Gómez, m.78), Muniain (Adu Ares, m.78); and Villalibre.

0 – Deportivo Alavés: Sivera; Sola, Tenaglia (Rafa Marín, m.76), Duarte (Maras, m.76), Víctor Parada (José de León, m.87); Antonio Blanco (Selu Diallo, m.66), Benavidez; Alkain, Giuliano Simeone (Guridi, d.66), Hagi; and Samu Omorodion.

Goals: 1-0, m.28: Villalibre. 2-0, m.60: Villalibre.

Referee: César Soto Grado (Riojano Committee). He showed a yellow card to the visitors Benavidez (m.71) and Rafa Marín (m.90).

Incidences: Copa del Rey round of 16 tie played, in a single match, in San Mamés before 45,233 spectators. Official data. Among them about 600 visiting followers.

2024-01-16 22:08:58
#Athletic #beats #Alavés #goals #Villalibre #reaches #quarterfinals