Athletic Bilbao’s Spanish ahead Alex Berenguer celebrates on the finish of the Spanish league soccer match between Athletic Membership Bilbao and Girona FC on the San Mames stadium in Bilbao on February 19, 2024.
| Photograph Credit score: AFP
Alex Berenguer scored twice as Athletic Bilbao introduced high-flying Girona again right down to earth with a 3-2 victory on Monday, a end result that supplied a actuality test to the Catalans’ lofty LaLiga title ambitions.
Girona, the season’s early pacesetters, had been unbeaten in 15 successive league video games till their 4-0 thrashing by Actual Madrid 9 days in the past. Nonetheless, having gained solely certainly one of their final 5 video games in all competitions, they’re now in peril of being overtaken by the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
After struggling their second consecutive league loss, Girona stay second within the standings with 56 factors, however solely two factors forward third-placed Barca and 5 forward of Atletico. They path leaders Actual Madrid by six factors.
Fifth-placed Athletic moved as much as 49 factors, two factors adrift of Atletico.
Athletic dominated proceedings from the beginning and outplayed a somewhat subdued Girona.
Berenguer intercepted a cross from rival Aleix Garcia to attain and provides Athletic the lead within the second minute and Girona had been fortunate to go to the break just one objective down because the wasteful locals misfired a number of probabilities, together with an absolute sitter from close-range by Inaki Williams within the seventh minute.
Athletic left the door open for Girona, and so they hit again with a Viktor Tsyhankov faucet in from a Ivan Martin cross that made it 1-1 within the forty ninth minute.
Nonetheless, Berenguer put the locals again in entrance with one other strike within the 56th minute and Williams prolonged their lead in related vogue 4 minutes later.
Williams nearly scored a fourth after one other blunder by the guests 5 minutes later however keeper Paulo Gazzaniga managed to make a goalline save with the tip of his boot.
Eric Garcia put Girona again within the recreation, netting a close-range effort from a Aleix Garcia free kick however the hosts held on to safe their seventh consecutive win at house, a end result that put them within the race for a prime 4 end and a spot in subsequent season’s Champions League.
“It is not simple to beat Girona. It is one thing to be happy with,” Williams informed DAZN.
“We’re doing issues effectively and we now have to search for, that is what’s necessary. We will maintain dreaming and maintain working as a result of that is the way you get issues executed.”
