On Sunday, Real Madrid announced that the Ballon d’Or winner would leave the club as a free agent at season end.
Browsing: Athletic Bilbao
The former Barcelona coach returns to Athletic after the election of new president Jon Uriarte.
The France international’s fitness has been a source of concern since he hobbled off in the second half of Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw with Elche in LaLiga on January 23.
The Spain international, who has struggled with injury this season, suffered a setback in the Copa del Rey defeat and was in tears when he left the field.
Modric’s curling finish towards the end of the first half and Benzema’s strike early in the second sealed the win for Madrid, who claimed their first trophy in Carlo Ancelotti’s second spell as coach.
Barca faced Athletic Bilbao in April of last year, winning 4-0 in the showdown at La Cartuja in Seville, with Lionel Messi scoring twice.
In La Liga, Life goes on for Barcelona after Messi. The first game of the post-Messi era could hardly have gone better as Ronald Koeman’s side beat Real Sociedad 4-2. Now they go away to face more Basque opposition with a visit to Athletic Bilbao.
But it was all thanks to a second-half goal from defender Nacho Fernandez.
This was after Inaki Williams struck in the 90th minute to earn Athletic Bilbao a 1-0 win at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Bilbao reached last season’s final and were set to play Real Sociedad before the coronavirus pandemic halted the competition, with that match now due to take place on April 3 in Seville.
Barca went ahead after 20 minutes, when Lionel Messi scored direct from a free-kick for his 650th goal in 750 games for the club.
The punishment was confirmed by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Tuesday.
The Argentine received the first red card of his Barcelona career in the last minute of extra time for striking Athletic Bilbao forward Asier Villalibre around the head off the ball.
Athletic Bilbao got off to a dream start in their first match under new coach Marcelino when forward Inaki Williams latched on to a low through ball and raced towards goal.
It was a seventh consecutive victory for the winners, and it has now seen them wrap their tentacles ever tighter around the La Liga title.
His effort averted a second consecutive draw, which would have further dented the champions’ La Liga title defence
Betis slipped to a 1-0 defeat by Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, and the club’s board stepped in to unseat Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia, known as Rubi
Having suffered a calf problem while on international duty with Argentina over the summer, Messi has not featured against either Athletic Bilbao or Celta Vigo.
The 38-year-old came off the bench late in the game and soon made Barca pay for squandering several chances by acrobatically lashing an unstoppable shot into the net in the 89th minute.
The new LaLiga season opens on the evening of Friday 16 August, with Athletic Bilbao playing host to champions Barcelona at the new San Mames Stadium.