According to a report published on January 3 at 00:19 (Tashkent time), Osasuna hosted Athletic Bilbao at El Sadar in Matchday 18 of La Liga. Despite taking the lead first, the hosts failed to hold on in the second half, and the match ended 1–1. This was reported by kursiv.uzreports.
Early on, both teams played cautiously and the tempo was low. Osasuna tried to create chances mainly down the wings. In the 34th minute, the hosts won a dangerous set piece, and Ruben Garcia curled a precise free kick into the net.
After the goal, Osasuna increased the pressure, but the score remained unchanged until halftime. In the second half, Athletic enjoyed more possession and pushed their pressing line higher, while Osasuna looked to respond with quick counterattacks.
In the 70th minute, Lucas Torro had a chance to extend the lead, but his shot hit the post. Soon after, in the 72nd minute, Gorka Guruzeta finished off the visitors’ attack to level the score.
In the remainder of the match, the contest became more physical with more fouls, and clear chances decreased. Final stats showed possession at 48% for Osasuna and 52% for Athletic. Overall, a draw was a logical result for a relatively calm game, and Osasuna could not protect the advantage they gained from a set piece.
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