A milestone, a point & two woodworks: Almeria and Athletic share out frustration
Almeria 1-1 Athletic Club
Almeria continue in search their first win, after running Basque giants Athletic Club close, as Ernesto Valverde’s side struggled to break down the Andalusians.
The home side survived early pressure from Athletic, but Luis Maximiano was not forced into uncomfortable situations. Almeria would also have a late header that was not taken advantage of, having looked promising on the break with Largie Ramazani.
Less than 10 minutes into the second half, he would be creating a headache for Gaizka Garitano, as he received his second yellow, leaving his side with 10 men. That invited Los Leones forward, who brought on Iker Muniain, Oihan Sancet and Raul Garcia to try and find the breakthrough. The latter was making his 600th La Liga appearance, and is now closing in on the record of 621 set by Joaquin Sanchez and Andoni Zubizarreta, although it is already out of reach this season.
He nearly had the crucial goal though, flighting an excellent header off the inside of the post inside the final 10 minutes. That was as close as they came though, and it was Almeria who had the big chance late on to win it. In Matchday 24, after 7 draws and 16 defeats, down to 10-men and holding a Champions League-spot contender, it fell to Serbian teenager Marko Milovanovic to win their first match of the season. One-on-one with Unai Simon, his effort agonisingly clipped the bar on its way out.
The way goes on for Almeria, who continue to appeal to gods and averages alike. Despite their late escape, Athletic will be disappointed with both the performance and the result. They could have gone level with Atletico Madrid in fourth, but remain two points back in fifth, albeit eight clear of Real Betis.
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