In the eighth round of La Liga EA Sports, Athletic faced Mallorca, and the Basque club went into halftime with a one-goal lead. In the ninth minute, Iñaki Williams converted a penalty, putting the hosts ahead.
During the first half, Mallorca failed to create any dangerous chances at the opponent’s goal. Meanwhile, Athletic’s players had several opportunities to extend their lead: Robert Navarro and Nico Serrano threatened the visitors’ goal, but were unable to score. Despite the pressure, the team from the Balearic Islands gradually stabilized their game and managed to hold off the hosts’ attacking surge.
The referee showed yellow cards to Darder and Galarreta for fouls during play. In one incident, Maffeo was hit in the face by the ball, prompting the referee to pause the game. The first half was extended to the 48th minute.
The match is being held at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, which boasts a vibrant atmosphere. Support for Palestine is visible in the stands. Athletic’s head coach Ernesto Valverde emphasized the importance of ending the team’s run of poor results and praised his players’ persistence. His Mallorca counterpart, Jagoba Arrasate, highlighted the need for teamwork and efficiency to face a tough opponent.
Mallorca entered the match in high spirits after securing their first win of the season against Alavés. Meanwhile, Athletic recently suffered defeat in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund. The home side’s starting lineup featured Unai Simón, Areso, Vivian, Laporte, Yuri, Galarreta, Jauregizar, Nico Serrano, Guruzeta, Robert Navarro, and Iñaki Williams. Mallorca’s starting eleven included Leo Román, Maffeo, Valjent, Raíllo, Mojica, Samu Costa, Morlanes, Domènech, Darder, Pablo Torre, and Muriqi.
The match is being broadcast live with text updates on MARCA.com. The final result is still undecided, and changes to the scoreline are possible in the second half.
