Barakaldo CF and Arenas Club de Getxo played to a 1–1 draw in a fiery Basque derbi at Lasesarre, where the home side played more than half the match with nine men following two first-half red cards.
Two First-Half Red Cards Stun Lasesarre
The match turned in the opening forty-five minutes when referee Francisco García sent off two Barakaldo players. The first dismissal arrived in the 31st minute when Ángel Troncho received a straight red card after his boot made contact with Adrián Lekuna’s leg while attempting a cross. Barakaldo manager Imanol de la Sota requested a review using the FVS system, but the referee upheld the decision. Before the interval, Pablo Trigueros joined Troncho in the dressing room after picking up two quick yellow cards—the first for alleged simulation inside the penalty area and the second for a foul to stop an Arenas counterattack. The stadium briefly descended into chaos when an object was thrown from the stands near the assistant referee, forcing a temporary stoppage before Rubi’s resulting free kick was saved by Gaizka Campos.
Barakaldo Grabs Unlikely Lead Despite Disadvantage
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Barakaldo found the breakthrough eight minutes into the second half. In the 53rd minute, substitute Óscar Marotías sent a cross into the penalty area that Arenas midfielder Álvaro Arnedo inadvertently headed past his own goalkeeper, Hodei Oleaga, putting the nine men ahead. Pushed back into their own half, the hosts organized a stubborn defensive block to protect their lead while Arenas threw bodies forward in search of an equalizer. Jon Erice’s visiting side finally broke through in the 69th minute when Ander Dufur connected with a powerful header from a Rubi delivery, restoring parity to the scoreline.
Arenas Waste Numerous Chances to Take All Three Points
With the score tied at 1–1, Arenas dominated possession and bombarded the Barakaldo penalty area but lacked the clinical finishing required to secure a victory. Goalkeeper Gaizka Campos made several key saves, including denying a dangerous long-range effort and a late double chance that would have shifted the result. The draw leaves Arenas at the bottom of the standings with just two points from their first six matches of the season, continuing their early struggles with scoring efficiency. Barakaldo, meanwhile, managed to salvage a point that manager and players celebrated as a hard-earned reward for defensive resilience.
Barakaldo and Arenas Start with These Lineups
Barakaldo started with Gaizka Campos in goal; Calera (Ureña, min. 84), Trigueros, Beñat Gómez, and Zoilo across the back; Huidobro and Castillo in midfield; and an attacking unit featuring Troncho, Xemi (Mattheus, min. 76), Collado (Mateos, min. 46), and Okolo (Marotías, min. 46). Arenas deployed Oleaga between the posts; Larrauri, Zubelzu, Dufur, Arratibel (Cortés, min. 55), and Lekuna; Arnedo (Oyón, min. 62) and Akogo in the center; with Telletxea, Rubi, and Zabaleta (Borrajo, min. 62) up front. Referee Francisco García booked Barakaldo’s Beñat Gómez (min. 37) alongside Arenas players Arnedo (min. 22) and Arratibel (min. 51), while issuing straight and double-yellow dismissals to Troncho and Trigueros respectively.
