Athletic Bilbao secured a straightforward 2:0 win over Celta Vigo at the Estadio Balaidos in La Liga's third round on Saturday evening. Alejandro Berenguer opened the scoring in the twentieth minute, and Roberto Navarro added a second two minutes later to put the visitors in control. Celta made four changes at half-time in a bid to get back into the game, but the deficit proved too large to overcome.
The goals came in rapid succession. Berenguer found the net first before Navarro doubled the advantage, and Celta's attempts to respond were hampered by Athletic's disciplined defending. The hosts brought on Hugo Gonzalez, Javier Rodriguez, Abdoulaye Faye and Ilaix Moriba for the second half, but the visitors maintained their composure and saw out the match without further incident.
Athletic's efficiency was evident in the numbers. They registered 2.64 expected goals against just 0.56 for Celta, and converted two of their seven shots on target while the hosts could only manage two goals from five attempts on frame. The visitors created five big chances compared to Celta's three, and their shot accuracy of 41 per cent told the story of a side that took their opportunities when they came.
There were yellow cards for Athletic's Yuri Berchiche in the forty-eighth minute and Roberto Navarro sixty-one minutes in, with Benat Gerenabarrena booked later in the contest. Celta's substitutions were mostly tactical, but they could not shift the momentum. Athletic replaced Navarro in the seventy-fourth minute and brought on three more players for the final quarter, managing the result without risk.
The result leaves Celta rooted to the bottom of the table with just one point from three games, their form showing no sign of improvement. Athletic move up to twelfth place on three points, though their recent record of only one win in their opening three fixtures suggests they have work to do. The gap between the sides was clear from the first whistle, and Athletic's clean sheet was a reward for their defensive organisation.
