Athletic Bilbao began their La Liga match against Levante UD without Iñaki and Nico Williams in the starting lineup. Coach Edin Terzic made five changes from the side that drew with Elche last Saturday, fielding Maroan as the central striker at the Ciutat de València. The Bilbao side, with 8 points from their first 5 matches, were looking to improve their average of 1.6 points per game and move away from the mid-table positions.
The threat of a suspension due to an orange weather alert for heavy rain and hail from Aemet did not materialise and the match kicked off at 21:30 with referee Alejandro Quintero González. Levante, sitting 14th with five points, were looking to bounce back from their last home defeat, a 2-4 loss to Barcelona. Their next fixture is a trip to bottom-placed Villarreal on 20 September.
Terzic trusted Unai Simón in goal and a defence of Johaneko, Paredes, Laporte and Yuri. In midfield he placed Jauregizar, Galarreta and Navarro, with Sancet and Berenguer supporting striker Maroan. The Williams brothers, Guruzeta and Yeray all started the match on the bench.
For their part, Levante under Luis Mario Villa started with Ryan; Nacho Pérez, Dela, Ndukwe and Manu Sánchez in defence; Olasagasti, Oriol Rey and Enzo Bardeli in the middle; and Thiago, Romero and Paco Cortés up front. The granota side, with a record of one win, two draws and two defeats in their last five games, were relying on top scorer Brugui, who has three goals this season, to find a way to victory. The full squad list is on the squad page.
The match represented a test for both teams as they sought points to move away from the lower reaches of the table, which can be followed in real time. For Athletic, the goal was to add effective playing minutes, having recorded an average of 45 minutes of possession per game this season, a key statistic for their style of play.
Background and full detail: Mundo Deportivo
