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BETTING ANALYSIS |
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Spanish La Liga
Sun Mar 6
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ATHLETICO
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ALBACETE
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THIS WEEKS OTHER PREVIEWS : |
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AVAILABLE FREE BETS: ATHLETICO V ALBACETE |
| MATCH
ANALYSIS |
Athletic Bilbao midfielder Joseba Etxeberria has hit
out at the way fans have criticised the team.
The Basque side have endured a bad week with
elimination from the UEFA Cup and then defeat in the
league by Malaga.
Bilbao were fancied to reach the latter stages of
the UEFA Cup, especially after they drew at Austria
Vienna, but then they lost disappointingly at home,
2-1 in the return leg.
They then lost to in-form Malaga, denting their
plans of qualifying again for Europe as the gap
between them and sixth place is now seven points.
``After the defeat against Austria Vienna it
appeared as though people were waiting for us to
make a mistake so that they could start to talk and
criticise the club,'' said Etxeberria. The UEFA Cup
is a knock-out competition so if you have a bad day
you can lose everything. We were not playing a bad
team, a weak side, as a lot of people have tried to
make out. They had their merits and in this type of
competition nothing is guaranteed.
``In the league we are still alive and we hope to
move up the table by the end of the season. We had a
bad result in midweek but the team is united, along
with the coaching staff, and we all aim to achieve
something important. We all know our job and what we
have to do. We are sad at what has happened in
Europe and above all for the people who have had
belief in us and have been let down.''
Athletic have been further rocked by news that coach
Ernesto Valverde is to step down at the end of the
season.
He had been stalling on a new contract and has now
announced that he does not have any plans to
continue.
``To be a trainer, and especially at Athletic, it is
necessary to have energy and motivation, which I do
not think I will have next season,'' he said.
This decision has been very difficult - the hardest
that I have had to deal with in my career.''
Albacete are deep in relegation trouble, four points
from safety, and coach Martin Monteagudo will be
without defender Mikel Buades (thigh strain) and
midfielder Jaime Sanchez (ankle) for the trip to
Bilbao.
Monteagudo's men managed to halt a three-game losing
streak in midweek, with a late penalty from top
scorer Antonio Pacheco giving them a point at home
to Osasuna.
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| MATCH
OUTCOME |
Second-half substitute Julen Guerrero scored his 100th goal
as Athletic Bilbao ended a miserable week on a high note.
The Basque side were eliminated from the UEFA Cup, lost to
Malaga in the league and then coach Ernesto Valverde said
this would be his last season in charge.
Unfortunately for struggling Albacete, Bilbao and Valverde
needed to show on Sunday that their season was far from
over.
The loss plunged third-bottom Albacete deeper into
relegation trouble after Mallorca won 3-2 at home to Real
Sociedad.
Albacete goalkeeper Raul Valbuena's reactions were tested as
early as the first minute when the home team came out with
all guns blazing.
Santiago Ezquerro whipped the ball across goal from the left
forcing Valbuena to make a good stop.
Valbuena was back in action a minute later. With his back to
goal, Ismael Urzaiz laid the ball off for Pablo Orbaiz on
the edge of the area. His first-time shot was held at the
second attempt.
The Albacete defence was under seige in the opening minutes
but it was the visitors who opened the scoring against the
run of play.Francisco
Fransciso Pena made a strong run down the left and his
centre went between Bilbao defender Luis Prieto's legs and
found Martin Ruben Castro, who prodded the ball past keeper
Daniel Aranzubia with his right foot.
Bilbao midfielder Joseba Etxeberria went close to an
equaliser in the 24th minute when he was one-on-one with
Valbuena but the linesman had flagged for offside.
Two minutes later and Javi Gonzalez tried to surprise
Valbuena who was a little off his line but his 40-yard chip
flew over the bar.
Ezquerro hit the post in the 30th minute with Valbuena
beaten and five minutes later the striker had a goal
disallowed for offside.
But, in the 40th minute, his strong running paid off with
the equaliser.
From a free kick on the left the ball was floated to the far
post before being headed back. The defence failed to clear
and the ball landed at Ezquerro's feet who smashed it into
the net.
A minute later and the crowd rose to applaud another
brilliant save by Valbuena.
Andoni Iraola sprinted past two defenders and found Carlos
Gurpegi who shot first time, forcing the keeper to palm the
ball away for a corner.
The second half started slowly but all that changed in the
59th minute.
Pena made a great run down the left, feeding Mark Gonzalez,
whose shot smashed against Bilbao central defender Luis
Prieto and was cleared by Aranzubia.
Etxeberria and Bilbao had another goal disallowed for
offside on the hour mark although replays showed otherwise.
The home side made it 2-1 in the 71st minute through Jesus
Maria Lacruz.
Etxeberria crossed to Gurpegi on the near post. His diving
header found Lacruz seven yards out.
Lacruz took one touch to control the ball and with his
second blasted it into the net.
Aranzubia did well to deny Antonio Pachecho in the 74th
minute, diving to his left to stop the shot.
In the other goalmouth, Valbuena had to be at his best a few
minutes later to stop Fernando.
Albacete's best player, Uruguay's Antonio Pacheco, then
blasted a few inches over the bar as the seconds ticked
away.
In stoppage time, Guerrero scored his landmark goal direct
from a free kick to give Bilbao a hard-earned three points.
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