Athletic Club Extends Unbeaten Streak to 13 with Resilient Comeback to Draw Against Real Betis

Athletic Club, currently sitting in fourth place, extended their unbeaten streak in LaLiga to 13 matches after a hard-fought 2-2 draw against mid-table rivals Real Betis, coming back from behind on two occasions.

The match kicked off with a reasonable tempo, but it wasn’t until the 11th minute that a shot on target was registered. Betis’ young talent, Jesus Rodriguez, had a golden chance but opted for a weak effort directed at Unai Simon, missing the opportunity to set up Cedric Bakambu, who was the hero against Mallorca last weekend.

However, shortly after this missed chance, the hosts took the lead. A quick counter-attack culminated in debutant Antony, formerly of Manchester United, cutting onto his left foot and firing a low shot that Simón could only parry into the path of Isco, who scored with ease.

At the other end, Alex Berenguer’s ineffective shot was comfortably saved by Adrian. Yet, after Bakambu failed to convert a good chance set up by Isco, Berenguer found redemption in a peculiar sequence of play.

After a clever dribble into the box, Antony was impeded by Diego Llorente. However, he showed great skill by delivering a precise corner to the near post, forcing Adrian to awkwardly deflect the ball onto Aitor Paredes, who was unaware he had played a part in the equaliser.

Both sides sensed the opportunity for more goals, and just before half-time, Romain Perraud scored his first goal since January 2023, unleashing a stunning shot from outside the area, although Simón didn’t handle it gracefully.

Without the services of the injured Nico Williams, Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde chose not to make any changes during the interval. However, the visitors struggled to exert control as the second half began, prompting Valverde to introduce Gorka Guruzeta and Benat Prados in place of Unai Gómez and Mikel Jauregizar.

Nevertheless, it was Berenguer yet again who set up Athletic’s second equaliser of the night, delivering another menacing corner that was met powerfully by Oihan Sancet. This goal ignited an exciting final 20 minutes of regulation time as Valverde’s counterpart, Manuel Pellegrini, sought a winning goal by introducing Vitor Roque and Abde Ezzalzouli for Sergi Altimira and Antony. However, a winner proved elusive in Seville.

Pellegrini now boasts an impressive 14-match unbeaten run against Athletic as a manager (10 wins, 4 draws), but Betis will lament the missed opportunity ahead of their upcoming clash with RC Celta de Vigo next Saturday, while Valverde’s team will host Girona on the same day.