Webo guides Real Malarco in striking down Athletic Bilbao
Real Mallorca beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 in a La Liga encounter at the Estadio Son Moix on Monday evening. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Pierre-c29989 Webo’s goal proved to be the difference between the two sides. Bilbao’s Champion’s League chances suffered a huge blow as they now trail fourth
placed Villarreal by seven points.
Mallorca made two changes to the line-up that drew at Osasuna. Ruben http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Sergio-c33030 Tejera were replaced with Jose Nunes and Webo. The visitors made only one change from their 3-0 win against Sporting Gijon last week. Carlos Gurpegui was replaced by
Javi http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Martinez-c24468 in the starting line-up. Bilbao came into the game with a four game unbeaten run.
The game started in a positively as both sides wanted to make early inroads. The visitors had the first chance at a goal when http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Gaizka-Toquero-c14388 sent a beautiful cross to Kevin Garcia in the box, who chested it back to the keeper. Soon after, Mallorca had a
great chance of getting an early lead when Webo slipped the ball to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Emilio-Nsue-c12492 surged inside the box from the left and
pulled the ball back to Webo, who steered it past http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Gorka-Iraizoz-c15189 to make it 1-0. The game dried up just after the goal as the home side kept the possession and played patiently. Just after the half hour mark, the hosts came close to doubling their lead. Nsue
sneaked the ball past San Jose inside the box and forced the keeper into a brilliant save. The visitor’s first real chance of the game came in the 39th minute, when http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fernando-Llorente-c13671 headed David Lopez’s corner just above the bar. De Guzman and
Nsue constantly threatened the visitors’ defensive highline with some great passing as the hosts ended the first half on a high.
The visitors kept a decent share of possession in the start of the second half and applied the pressure on the Mallorca defence. A David Lopez set piece was hooked back across the goal by San Jose to force a one handed save from the hosts keeper. The visitors
came close again in the 70th minute when substitute, Markel Suseta, rolled the ball to Llorente on the edge of the box, who after beating two defenders; saw his shot blocked by the third for a corner. The visitors constantly threatened the Mallorca
goal but the resolute defence of the hosts stayed calm and was able to cling on to a slender lead.
Real Mallorca climbs to the tenth spot with this win as they close the gap for the Europa League position. Mallorca travel to face Real Sociedad in their next La Liga fixture on 21st February. Whereas, Athletic Bilbao faces a stern test as they
take on the champions, Barcelona, on 20th February.
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