Athletic Club and Leganés drew 0-0 at San Mamés. Athletic dominated possession but couldn’t break down Leganés’s defense.
Athletic Club and Leganés played to a 0-0 draw at San Mamés, in a match where the home side dominated possession but failed to break down a resolute Leganés defense. The game saw chances for both sides, but neither could find the back of the net, resulting in a stalemate.
The first half saw Athletic Club, managed by ‘txingurri’ Valverde, controlling the game and creating opportunities. Nico Williams had an early chance after a high turnover, but his shot went wide. Athletic pressed high, forcing Leganés into a deep defensive block, often trying to counter-attack. Vivian came close to scoring from a corner, but his shot went just wide. Guruzeta also had a header go over the bar after a cross from Yeray. Leganés struggled to retain possession against the Athletic pressure. Nico Williams again tried his luck from the edge of the box, but failed to trouble the goalkeeper. Athletic relied on crosses but the Leganés defenders were equal to the task. Towards the end of the first half, Alex Berenguer had his shot saved by Dmitrovic. A further chance fell to Berenguer from Gorosabel’s cross, but Dmitrovic saved to keep the score at 0-0 going into the break.
The second half started with Leganés nearly scoring seconds after the restart, as a misplaced pass from Yuri Berchiche almost allowed Brasanac a chance. However, Dani Vivian recovered to clear the danger. Berenguer had a chance to put Athletic ahead, but his shot was tame. Jaureguizar also had a shot from distance that was off target. Berenguer again went close with another effort from the edge of the box that went just wide. Unai Simon made an important save in the 50th minute, denying Miguel de la Fuente’s header. Leganés’s captain also prevented Vivian from getting a clean shot on goal after another dangerous corner. The game was more open in the second half, with both teams creating chances. As the game progressed, Athletic introduced substitutions to increase the tempo, and continued to hold possession, finding gaps behind the Leganés midfield. Vivian fired another long-range shot wide, and substitute Munir almost scored for Leganés late on, his shot hitting the crossbar. In the final minutes, Unai Simon again saved from Julian Chicco. Despite four minutes of added time, Athletic were unable to break the Leganés defense, and the match ended 0-0.
The result leaves Athletic Club in third place with 40 points, while Leganés are in sixteenth place with 23 points. The match was held at San Mamés stadium on 18:30.
Match Details
Athletic Club XI: Unai Simón; Gorosabel (De Marcos, min. 61), Dani Vivian, Yeray, Adama Boiro (Yuri Berchiche, min. 46); Mikel Vesga (Nico Serrano, min. 82), Jauregizar (Unai Gómez, min. 61), Iñaki Williams, Berenguer (Sancet, min. 73), Nico Williams; Guruzeta.
Leganés XI: Dmitrovic; Altimira, Rosier, Sergio González, Nastasic, Juan Cruz; Neyou, Cissé, Brasanac (Julian Chicco, min. 82); Dani Raba (Óscar Rodríguez, min. 76), Miguel de la Fuente (Munir, min. 82).
Athletic Club Goals: None
Leganés Goals: None
Athletic Club Yellow Cards: Jauregizar (min. 22)
Leganés Yellow Cards: Altimira (min. 28)
Referee: Hernández Hernández
VAR Referee: González Fuertes
Author: Victor Cerviño
Sources: https://onefootball.com/en/news/ernesto-valverde-para-nosotros-la-prioridad-es-el-partido-de-hoy-queremos-que-la-derrota-del-otro-dia-sirva-para-dar-un-paso-40616928
https://www.barrons.com/news/spanish/athletic-falto-de-punteria-se-salva-por-los-palos-ante-leganes-0-0-5f42c7b1
https://offsidersports.com/athletic-club-0-0-leganes-muralla-pepinera-en-la-catedral/