Pellegrino dampens Athletic enthusiasm

Inside a meeting with almost no opportunity, A few moves by Unai Simón with shots from Rubén Alcaraz and Chris Ramos were enough to make him the best player of the match.

The party faced Two teams with very different goals. While Athletic tried to take part in the Champions League after their cup success against Barcelona, ​​the yellow team could not win any of the last 17 league matches. This terrible streak led to the sacking of Sergio González and the introduction of Mauricio Pellegrino, who made his debut on the Cádiz bench.

Pellegrino made two changes to his starting eleven andIza Carcelén and Sobrino step into Zaldúa and Sergi Guardiola’s positions. For your part, Valverde opted to make seven changes He is at Athletic to renew the team after trying to play in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

In the early stages of the game, Cádiz He was positioned on the field in a 4-4-2 system, with Rubén Sobrino operating as a forward close to Chris Ramos. It was certainly Ramos’ first attempt to attack, but his header from the free kick went wide.

Cádiz, which had seemed sunken and incapable of reacting in the previous days, I was gaining confidence every minute. The fact that there was almost no movement in areas of the game helped Pellegrino’s new team settle in.

Neither team was able to take control of the match and they tested each other without a clear advantage.

Alcaraz shot from long distance and hit the ball into the visiting player’s leg. Cádiz had more courage to attack, but was in almost no danger. In front, A. Athletic This only created danger at corner kicksHowever, local defense won the match.

Unai Simón saved Cádiz’s goal with a great save from Alcaraz’s direct free kick. Vesga had blocked Robert Navarro’s individual movement from the start, earning him the first yellow card of the match and the option for a set-piece kick for the Yellows.

Half an hour later Iván Alejo tried his luck twice. First a high shot and then a header that just missed the red-white post. Immediately afterwards, Adu Ares also dared to shoot after a cut, but his aim was too high. The game looked like it was going to take offUntil then, play in the middle of the field had dominated.

Athletic featured a braver Cádiz and struggled due to the situation. With this panorama, Cadista also had the next opportunity for Sobrino, who this time finished after control and turn, but Unai Simón avoided the danger once again.

Athletic, intense, had no counter-attacking game. The Basque offensive power was obvious, but Valverde’s team did not have the best day and could hardly make any attacks.

After going to the locker room, the scenario of the game did not change, so Valverde took matters into his own hands with a triple substitution in the 52nd minute: Yuri, Sancet and Jauregizar replaced Lekue, Vesga and Unai Gómezthe first two warned.

With these variants the Basque team took control of the game and took control of Cádiz.but Pellegrino had no changes planned at this time.

Poorly cleared by Ledesma, the center sent the ball backwards, prompting a new corner kick for the visitors, but it deflected fruitlessly.

Adu Ares, the most active player of the red-whites in attack, was knocked out with one blow. In its place Nico Williams coincided with his older brother in the playground.

Valverde burned the ships with twenty minutes left. Villalibre was replaced by his usual starting center Guruzeta. And Pellegrino finally reacted in the 72nd minute by bringing on Sergi Guardiola instead of Sobrino, thus creating a clearer pair of forwards but losing the defensive assistance that Sobrino always offered.

The Athletic were much more persistent on offense with more starters on the field, but they couldn’t finish putting plays together. Clear against an increasingly tense Cádiz.

Five minutes before Pellegrino seemed to accept the draw wellHe removed Chris Ramos to introduce Álex Fernández in a move that strengthened the midfield at the expense of leaving Sergi Guardiola alone in attack.

Guruzeta hit the ball to Fali while taking a free kick from the edge of the area in the last minute of normal time, which added another five minutes, but neither team had a chance of winning.