Athletic Club continued their flying start to the new Spanish season, beating Real Betis 2-1 away at the Estadio de La Cartuja.
Softfootball reported that both teams aimed to continue their unbeaten run before the clash, and the victory makes it three wins from three for Ernesto Valverde’s men, the club’s best opening run since Joaquín Caparrós guided them to the same feat back in 2009/10.
However, it wasn’t a straightforward victory. Betis were the better team at halftime, gaining momentum as the game progressed. Pablo García was very close to breaking the deadlock when his shot took a deflection and clipped the post. while Iñaki Williams had already forced Álvaro Valles into action at the other end, reminding the home crowd how dangerous he can be.
The game turned after the break. Just as Betis looked to be building momentum through the lively Cucho Hernández, disaster struck. Yuri Berchiche’s hopeful cross caused confusion in the box, and Marc Bartra, under pressure, sliced the ball into his own net. From there, Athletic took control.
Aitor Paredes doubled the lead with a massive header late on, punishing Betis’s slack defending and silencing the home crowd. Late on in the game, Cédric Bakambu pulled one back deep into stoppage time, but it proved no more than a consolation. In a bizarre final twist, Athletic substitute goalkeeper Alex Padilla was shown a red card from the bench, though it had no bearing on the outcome.
This is a massive win for Athletic Club, and they shared a moment with the team celebrating the victory with their away supporters in a video on the team’s official X account.
Watch the video below:
The result ends Athletic’s seven-game winless run away to Betis and pushes them up to second in the early standings. Betis, meanwhile, lose their unbeaten start and slip into mid-table ahead of the international break.
