Laso and Albisu have had a thorn in their side since the pandemic and the lack of agreement between Baiko and the 2020 Couples … Bizkarreta striker in the negotiations for the renewal of his contract prevented him from participating in the last two games of the semifinal group. They’re on their way to getting it out. They both make the perfect couple. Or it seems like it. The talent and genius of the Navarrese mix perfectly with the power that a seamless Albisu is offering and that gives little away. They have only lost to Larrazabal and Mariezkurrena II in that Atano III match in which Laso suffered a severe blow to his operated knee when they won 16-11; and to do so, Berriozar’s defender had to exhibit an extraterrestrial level. Elordi and Zabaleta, the champions in 2023, the one called by Laso himself “paired”, was far from standing up to the Baiko duo yesterday, the sole leader of the championship, although more than the numbers speak the impression they make on the field.
Because even starting off on the wrong foot like yesterday (5-2) and the chair leaning slightly towards the Colorados, Laso and Albisu did not move an eyebrow. The one from Bizkarreta corrected his aim and began to release his left arm to, with surgical precision, draw hooks to which Elordi could not offer a response. He also added two goals with the serve. Restable, it must be said. But he did damage with the initial shot because in addition to those two goals he added three in kick-off actions.
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Playing time:
54’56” -
Good shots:
422 -
Serving points:
Elordi, 0; Laso, 2. -
Serving faults:
Elordi, 0; Laso, 1. -
So many at stake:
Elordi 3; Zabaleta, 2. Laso, 10; News, 4. -
So many lost:
Elordi 3; Zabaleta, 3. Laso, 4; News, 1. -
Marker:
1-0, 1-1, 3-1, 3-2, 5-2, 5-3, 6-3, 6-10, 7-10, 7-13, 8-13, 8-18, 10-18, 10-19, 11-19 y 11-22. -
Momios:
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Incidences:
Fronton Santanape in Gernika that replaced the Santi Brouard in Lekeitio due to the effects of the storm on the venue. Two buses left from Lekeitio to Gernika with fans and about 200 tickets of the 700 initially sold were returned. Practically full with 635 spectators.
And so from 6-3 it went to 6-10. Elordi walked with his ears pricked every time Laso came into contact with the ball and Zabaleta looked uncomfortable behind Albisu who, without making a sound, kept the Navarrese player too far away to avoid Laso, who continued hitting to make the gap bigger and bigger.
It was neither a long nor a hard-fought game. The score was 7-11 after 27 minutes and 225 shots. A drop shot and another hook from Bizkarreta stretched the lead to 7-13 before his umpteenth left hook missed him by millimeters (8-13).
Although the distance was not excessive, the feeling of authority that the blues transmitted made it seem impossible to think of a comeback if it were not for the fact that Elordi and Zabaleta always deserve a chance. However, this time the feelings outweighed anything else and Laso and Albisu headed straight for victory.
From 8-13 to 8-18 the Navarrese striker scored three more goals with a volley and two hooks; Albisu, whose figure in this final stretch grew exponentially to end up shining above his teammate, added another with a shot from behind; and Zabaleta, greatly challenged, sent a shot to the lower mattress.
A fault on Laso’s serve while trying to surprise the wide player was the last goal for the blues (11-19) and Albisu then went into action. The Ataundarra unleashed a volley from the four that took his rivals by surprise in the best shot of the afternoon; and to finish he hit two balls against the wall that Zabaleta could not return and that sealed a more than convincing victory. Both are solo leaders after five days and although there are still nine left, it is inevitable to see them as the favorites. More than the numbers, it is the sensations.
