Athletic Club and Alavés played out a goalless draw in La Liga's seventh round at San Mamés Stadium on Saturday. The hosts dominated possession but could not find a breakthrough against a disciplined away side that made it difficult for them to cut through.
And here's the thing about this match — it hinged on one moment. Oihan Sancet stepped up for a penalty in the 70th minute and missed. Athletic had created 1.62 expected goals, put 10 shots wide and six on target, but that single miss changed everything. Sancet was not alone in his frustration; the visitors' goalkeeper made six saves, and by then the game had settled into a pattern neither side could break.
To be fair, the statistics tell you where Athletic fell short. They completed 620 passes compared to Alavés' 279, but only converted one big chance into a shot worth considering. The away side cleared 35 balls and made 14 interceptions, while Athletic managed just three successful crosses from 29 attempts. Shots outside the penalty area were 15 to 2, but accuracy mattered more than volume.
We had backed Alavés to win at 41 per cent confidence, and the match went differently. What we missed was how Athletic's high line, when it came, was picked apart by the visitors' lack of penetration. Alavés created nothing of note — zero expected goals, zero shots on target — and could not take advantage of Athletic's occasional vulnerability.
The result leaves Athletic in eighth place with eight points from seven games, while Alavés move to sixth with 11 points. It is not much of a gap, but it is enough to keep both sides in conversation about where they stand. The visitors had lost their last two away fixtures before this, and now they have something to build on.
