Spain
La Liga
Friday 10th November 2023
Kick Off 21.00 Actual 21.01
Athletic Club Bilbao 4 Real Club Celta Vigo 3, attendance 44,435
25’ 0-1
37’ 1-1
41’ 1-2
45’ + 5, 2-2
51’ 3-2
65’ 3-3
90’ + 8, 4-3 (pen)
@ Estadio San Mames
Calle Rafael Moreno “Pitxitxi”
48013 Bilbao
€80 Admission + €2.50 booking fee, Print at Home Ticket
No Programme.
I had visited the original Estadio San Mames back in October 2011, when Athletic Club drew 2-2 versus S.V. Salzburg in a U.E.F.A. Europa League Group match in front of a crowd of 25,000. Since then a new 53,289 capacity stadium has been built, slightly offset from the original footprint, where there is no pitch overlap, but one goal end is on top of what would have been part of the old ground, hence the ground opening in September 2013 with just three new sides built. The last remaining part of the original structure was then knocked down to enable stadium completion. It is a sight to behold. The stadium is easily reached, having its own station on the Bilbao city metro system, unsurprisingly called “San Mames”.
The atmosphere was superb and it has to be said, the view here is superb, even if it is very expensive for the pleasure! We were unable to get two adjacent tickets, but had managed to get a pair just two seats apart and when the two locals who had the two between us arrived for the game, they offered to shuffle across after sussing out the English accents! It was a surprise to see the official attendance announced was only around 44,500 as there were not many seats available to purchase around a week before the game. There was no way there were almost 9,000 empty seats. I would have said maybe 1,500 to two thousand, if that. Even the away section looked well populated.
The match was 5th versus 18th in the league table and was absolutely superb to watch from start to finish. Celta Vigo, who are managed by Rafael Benitez (ex Valencia, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea and Newcastle United boss) looked a very good side. They certainly didn’t play like a team sitting third from bottom. If they hadn’t resorted to the all too usual (amongst so many foreign teams) diving/cheating and time wasting in the last fifteen minutes, then they could have won it. They had an early goal disallowed for offside, but did open the scoring with a 20 yard shot that went in off the far post after twenty five minutes. Athletic equalised eight minutes before halftime, hooking in at the far post, after a cross from the left wasn’t cut out, but Celta Vigo were back ahead within four minutes, punishing a poor clearance from a free kick with a first time shot into the bottom corner from just outside the D. Athletic Club made it 2-2, touching in a left wing cross at the near post, in the fifth minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half
Athletic Club went in front six minutes into the second half, tapping in from close range, after an angled shot had been saved by the ‘keeper. Celta thought they’d levelled the scores with twenty five minutes left, but the effort was ruled out for offside, but it was only a matter of seconds before they did make it 3-3, breaking quickly down the right and playing the ball across to finish unmarked at the far post. Seven minutes later they had the chance to regain the lead, but a penalty, awarded by VAR for a handball offence, was saved by the ‘keeper. Eight minutes into stoppage time there was another penalty awarded, again for handball, but this time in favour of the hosts and it was put away to give them all three points. The final whistle then blew, dead on eleven o’clock!
Our early morning Vueling flight out from London Gatwick to Bilbao this morning managed to land slightly ahead of schedule, despite departing about fifteen minutes late, leaving plenty of time in Bilbao pre-match and even better, the hotel was only about five minutes walk from the stadium, which was clearly visible from our tenth floor room!
