Athletic secured a 3-0 win against Burgos in a Club Friendly match on Friday 1st August. The visitors controlled proceedings and put the result beyond doubt before the final whistle. To be fair, the result reflected the flow of the game rather than any surprise.
Burgos had arrived in reasonably confident form, having gone four matches without defeat. Their last outing saw them edge past Unionistas de Salamanca 1-0, and before that they had shared the points with Athletic Bilbao II in a 1-1 draw.
Athletic came in with their own momentum, having beaten Racing Santander 3-0 on their previous trip. They had also seen off Sestao River 2-0 and put ten past Leioa in what was a rather one-sided affair.
The match itself produced no cards for either side, and the statistics tell a simple story. Three goals for Athletic, none for Burgos. By then the contest was effectively over.
For Burgos, the defeat ended a run of results that had included two clean sheets on the spin. The 0-3 scoreline leaves them looking at a fresh start, though friendlies are about more than just the final score.
Athletic will take satisfaction from the manner of their victory. They got over the line against a side that had shown resilience in their recent outings. And here's the thing — three goals in a friendly still counts as a statement.