A showdown in the Basque Country saw Athletic Club take on fellow European hopefuls, Villarreal. To add an element of intrigue, both sides fielded an all-Spanish starting XI.
The match was not without controversy as the home side earned two harsh, yet justifiable, penalty kicks. Pau Torres was the unlucky victim of the game-winner. Though his hands were behind his back, his elbow protruded from his side by approximately 10 centimetres, making contact with the ball and stopping its trajectory to goal. Raúl García sent Sergio Asenjo the wrong way on a 56th-minute spot-kick, sending the Bilbao fans home with three points and renewed hope for a top-six La Liga finish.
In this tactical analysis, we investigate the tactics that produced the 1-0 Athletic Club victory, as well as an analysis of Villarreal’s transitions from defence to attack.
Lineups
Gaizka Garitano set his side out in a 4-2-3-1. Unai Simón started in goal with a backline consisting of Íñigo Martínez and Yeray Álvarez in the centre, Yuri and Ander Capa on the wings. Mikel Vesga and Dani García played double pivot while Iñigo Córdoba, Iker Muniain and Ibai Gómez operated in attacking midfield roles. García was the lone striker for Los Leones.
Javi Calleja’s Villarreal countered with a 4-1-4-1. Asenjo started in goal, producing a man of the match performance to keep El Submarino Amarillo in the match. He counts a penalty save and one goal allowed on 2.81 xG as his match accomplishments. Making up his defence were Rubén Peña, Raúl Albiol, Pau Torres and Alberto Moreno. Vicente Iborra manned the pivot as Manu Trigueros and Santi Cazorla played in front of him. Gerard Moreno and Javi Ontiveros picked up the starts on the wings and Paco Alcácer was the lone striker.
