Oso punishes Athletic's mistakes as Sevilla take San Mamés

Athletic were launching their campaign after their opening-day match against Barcelona was postponed, and they did so too with Edin Terzic making his debut from the San Mamés dugout. The coach started with Peio Canales and Gerenabarrena in midfield and left Nico Williams as an option for the second half. Opposite them was a Sevilla side that had already beaten Rayo Vallecano 2-1 and were looking to complete a perfect start of six points from six under the direction of Luis García Plaza.

First half

The opening minutes painted a picture of high-pressure football and constant duels. Athletic tried to take the initiative and Gerenabarrena starred in one of the first home attempts, but the script was broken very soon. In the 11th minute, an action sparked by Robbie Ure's pressure ended with Miguel Sierra charging towards goal and Yuri bringing him down. Soto Grado showed a straight red card and left the rojiblancos with ten men when the match had barely begun.

The sending off forced Álex Berenguer to drop back, and four minutes later came an even bigger blow. A ball played towards Unai Simón became a problem under Ure's pressure; the goalkeeper couldn't resolve the situation and Oso stepped in to score the 0-1 in the 15th minute. Sevilla had found a numerical advantage and a favorable scoreline almost in one go.

The second goal could have come immediately, but Unai Simón responded to a shot from Juan Iglesias and kept Athletic in the contest. Far from collapsing, the hosts took risks, built up possession and tried to push Sevilla back into their area. Sancet looked for a shot, Berenguer tried to gain ground from a deeper position and Peio Canales kept growing in the build-up. Before the break, Iñaki Williams also forced Vlachodimos into a save. With one more man, Sevilla preferred to wait and protect a lead built on the opponent's errors.

Second half

Luis García Plaza made three changes at half-time and withdrew several players who had been booked. Ejuke, Isaac Romero and Nico Guillén came on, and the impact was immediate. Five minutes after the restart, Sevilla recovered possession in their own half, sped up the transition and Oso drove the break forward. Isaac Romero found Ejuke on the outside, who attacked the space and finished with a chip to make it 0-2.

The decisive blow arrived in the 57th minute. Jesús Areso tried to solve it with a backheel near his own area, Oso won the ball back and played it back for Isaac Romero to finish 0-3. Sevilla had turned three specific moments into three goals and the match looked settled.

Terzic responded with a triple change: Laporte, Nico Williams and Sannadi came on to increase the attacking weight and Athletic were forced to take even more risks. Peio Canales continued to give continuity to the home side's play and the rojiblancos finally got their reward from a set piece. In the 70th minute, a corner that was prolonged by Yeray ended up at the far post, where Aitor Paredes appeared to score the 1-3.

The goal re-energized San Mamés and Athletic kept pushing despite playing with fewer men, but Sevilla prevented the match from turning into a truly uncontrolled phase. Luis García Plaza reinforced the defensive structure in the closing stages and his team managed the advantage with greater calm. The 1-3 left Sevilla with a perfect record after two matchdays and turned Athletic's league debut into an afternoon defined by the sending off and several individual errors.

Top performers Comunio / Sofascore

13

Aitor Paredes
2.080.000€+60.000€    4

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For Athletic, the big fantasy name was Aitor Paredes. The centre-back finished with 13 Comunio points and a 7.5 on Sofascore, boosted by the goal that pulled the scoreline back and by his presence in a very demanding match for the rojiblanca defence. Among the players who came on from the bench, Aymeric Laporte also stood out, with 7 Comunio points and a 7.4, while Nico Williams added 5 points and a 6.9.

The other side of the rojiblancos' day came in the negative scores. Yuri Berchiche ended with -8 Comunio points and a 3.0 on Sofascore after his sending off in the 11th minute. Unai Simón finished with -4 and a 4.5 after being singled out in the build-up to the first goal, while Jesús Areso closed the match with -1 and a 5.6 following the mistake before the 0-3. Those three ratings show just how much those key moments shaped both the result and Athletic's fantasy day.

18

Oso
3.410.000€+300.000€    -

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For Sevilla, Oso was the most profitable player: 16 Comunio points and an 8.1 on Sofascore. He scored the 0-1, contributed to the transition that led to the second goal and assisted Isaac Romero for the third. His ability to spot and punish every rojiblanca loss was one of the biggest differences in the match.

The Sevilla bench also produced two particularly attractive scores. Isaac Romero reached 14 Comunio points and an 8.1 on Sofascore thanks to his goal and his involvement in the 0-2, while Chidera Ejuke added 12 points and a 7.6 after scoring just five minutes after coming on. All three come out clearly strengthened for fantasy. By contrast, Robbie Ure finished with -1 Comunio point and a 5.7 on Sofascore, despite the fact that his pressing had an impact on several of the situations that unsettled Athletic during the first quarter of an hour.

Match details

Result: Athletic Club 1-3 Sevilla FC.

Goals: 0-1, Oso (15'); 0-2, Chidera Ejuke (50'); 0-3, Isaac Romero (57'); 1-3, Aitor Paredes (70').

Stadium: San Mamés, Bilbao.

Referee: César Soto Grado. VAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez. Yuri Berchiche was sent off with a straight red card in the 11th minute.

Athletic Club: Unai Simón; Jesús Areso, Yeray Álvarez, Aitor Paredes, Yuri Berchiche; Beñat Gerenabarrena, Peio Canales; Iñaki Williams, Oihan Sancet, Álex Berenguer; Gorka Guruzeta. Also played: Aymeric Laporte, Nico Williams, Maroan Sannadi, Hugo Rincón and Íñigo Ruiz de Galarreta.

Sevilla FC: Vlachodimos; Juan Iglesias, Sangante, Andrés Castrín, Gabriel Suazo; Lucien Agoumé, Guridi; Miguel Sierra, Peque, Oso; Robbie Ure. Also featured: Chidera Ejuke, Isaac Romero, Nico Guillén, José Ángel Carmona and Julio Díaz.