Bilbao Athletic Defeat Santurtzi 2-0 In First Preseason Friendly
Nico Serrano celebrates his second goal with Juan Artola (AC)
Bilbao Athletic kicked off preseason Friday night with an impressive 2-0 win over Santurtzi. Joseba Etxeberria’s side dominated the match from start to finish with Nico Serrano scoring both goals at Lezama. It may have just been the first friendly of the summer, but the Kumeak showed they have aspirations to return to the promotional playoffs again this year.
Led by Youssouf Diarra in midfield, Bilbao Athletic controlled possession from the opening whistle. However, the team wasn’t content to just have the ball. They wanted to attack at every opportunity. The first goal came in the 40th minute when a cross from Nico Williams fell to Serrano at the far post. Serrano calmly beat the goalkeeper to give Bilbao Athletic a deserved 1-0 lead.
Serrano struck again following the break, this time with an assist from Juan Artola. Bilbao Athletic could have scored even more goals but settled for the convincing 2-0 win and clean sheet. With so many new players in the squad it was encouraging to see Etxeberria’s team play so well in the first friendly of the summer. The performance bodes well for the season ahead.
Bilbao Athletic will be back in action on Wednesday in a trip to Gernika. In total, the team will play eight friendlies this summer before the season begins in October. A new year brings new challenges, exciting goals, and the opportunity for young players to move one step closer to reaching the first team.