Oblak charges out to punch away the delivery and Atletico survive.
90' +4
Bilbao have a very late free kick in a very dangerous position following an aerial clash between Nunez and Savic. It’s now or never for the away side!
90' +3
Renan Lodi gets yellow.
Lodi is booked for a late challenge on Capa.
90'
There’ll be a minimum of four minutes of additional time played in this LaLiga clash. Can Athletic Bilbao salvage a result?
89'
Lodi also joins the action at the death as he replaces Carrasco in the left wing-back position.
88'
G. Kondogbia enters the game and replaces Marcos Llorente.
Renan Lodi enters the game and replaces Y. Carrasco.
There’s another switch for Atletico as Kondogbia replaces Llorente in midfield.
87'
The home side are just doing enough to hold onto their lead. Bilbao are pushing men forward but to no avail as of yet. If Atletico hold on, they’ll go six points clear of Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga standings.
82'
The visitors force a corner that is swung in by Morcillo. There’s a clash between two players at the back post but the referee again plays on.
80'
Jon Morcillo enters the game and replaces Muniain.
Capa enters the game and replaces De Marcos.
Just ten minutes remain in this clash and Atletico are doing enough to see out the victory at the moment. Correa goes down under pressure from Alvarez and there’s calls for a penalty, but the referee isn’t interested.
Another double change for the visitors as Muniain departs and is replaced by Morcillo.
There’s also a switch at right-back as Capa comes on for De Marcos for the final ten minutes of play.
Minute
Description
77'
Koke hits an effort from 25 yards out but it’s blocked behind by a defender for an Atletico corner. A third goal for the hosts would surely see off Bilbao at this late stage.
74'
The second sees Villalibre replace Raul Garcia upfront for the visitors.
73'
Asier Villalibre enters the game and replaces Raúl García.
Unai Vencedor enters the game and replaces Unai López.
A very defensive switch for Atletico as Torreira replaces Suarez. It looks like the hosts have switched to a 5-4-1 formation in the process to try and see out this victory.
Bilbao respond with a double substitution of their own. The first change sees Vencedor replace Lopez in midfield.
72'
L. Torreira enters the game and replaces L. Suárez.
71'
Credit where it’s due, the Atletico Madrid defence has been extremely strong tonight. Beside Muniain’s strike in the first half, Bilbao have hardly mustered any other chances on the opposition goal. There's a reason Simeone's side have only conceded 18 goals in 26 LaLiga matches so far this campaign.
68'
A double substitution for the hosts coming up. Joao Felix leaves the action as Correa takes his place.
At the same time, Saul replaces Lemar in midfield. That move should toughen up Atletico in the centre of the park.
67'
Saúl enters the game and replaces T. Lemar.
Á. Correa enters the game and replaces João Félix.
66'
Carrasco takes on two Bilbao defenders but loses his footing at the crucial time and turns over the possession in the opposition penalty area. Despite leading in this LaLiga clash, this has not been a vintage Atletico performance by any stretch of the imagination.
64'
The visitors have responded well to that second Atletico goal as mentioned before but they haven’t really had a clear chance at goal in this second half so far. The midfield are doing well against Koke and Llorente but the ball isn’t getting into the feet of Raul Garcia and Williams upfront fast enough to harm the hosts.
59'
Dani García enters the game and replaces Mikel Vesga.
Athletic Bilbao make their first change of the match as Dani Garcia replaces Vesga. A sensible switch given the midfielder was booked in the first half.
57'
Raul Garcia goes through the back of Suarez and Atletico get a brief reprieve from the Bilbao pressure that was building. The away side have responded well to going behind here in Madrid.
55'
The fluidity of Williams is giving the Atletico backline all sorts of problems in this LaLiga match. The forward is constantly moving out to either wing in an effort to try and influence this match for the visitors. The intelligence of Muniain is also a cause for concern for Simeone and his defenders.
53'
Bilbao had started this second half pretty well but it’s so clumsy from Nunez to give away that penalty. It was a simple step inside from Suarez and the defender completely fell for it.
51'
Penalty goal scored by L. Suárez for Atletico Madrid!
GOOOAAALLLL!!! 2-1 TO ATLETICO. SUAREZ!!!! The Uruguayan forward confidently steps up to the spot and dispatches his penalty into the bottom left-hand corner of the Bilbao net. Simon dives the other way and has no chance of stopping the effort. Normal service resumes for the league leaders.
46'
Both sides are back on the field and the second half begins!
45' +3
HALF-TIME: ATLETICO MADRID 0-1 ATHLETIC BILBAO.
45' +2
Marcos Llorente has scored a goal for Atletico Madrid! Assist by T. Lemar.
GOOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!! 1-1. LLORENTE!!!! Oh, how Atletico needed that! It’s a simple ball into Lemar who crosses back to an unmarked Llorente. The midfielder leaps highest and heads home from eight yards out courtesy of a very big deflection from a Bilbao defender. We’re all square.
Lemar grabs the assist with a fantastic chipped cross into the path of the onrushing Llorente.
45'
There’ll be just one minute of additional time played in this first half.
43'
Felipe gets yellow.
Felipe hacks through the back of Williams and he too will have his name taken by the referee.
41'
Mikel Vesga gets yellow.
Atletico are just beginning to crank up the heat on Bilbao as this match heads towards the break. The hosts have had a couple of corners, but both have gone short and have been a waste in truth. The visitors are looking comfortable at the back still, however.
Another booking for the away side, this time it's Vesga who's cautioned after pulling back Joao Felix who was looking to break away.
38'
De Marcos gets yellow.
De Marcos is the first name into the referee's book after fouling Joao Felix on the halfway line.
37'
Well apart from the early strike from Muniain nothing much else has really happened so far in this match. Atletico are holding more of the ball, but Bilbao seem happy to sit back and use the counter-attack to their advantage. Williams in particular looks dangerous on the break with his pace and trickery.
35'
Atletico finally have their first shot on target of the match as Carrasco strikes from distance. Simon in the Bilbao net gets down easily to stop the strike however.
30'
The hosts are still yet to have a big chance in this LaLiga clash and haven’t mustered a shot at target in the opening half an hour of play. It all just seems a little disjointed in attack as Suarez hasn’t really seen much of the ball. Joao Felix has also struggled to get into the match so far as well.
27'
Atletico Madrid have responded well to that early set back and since the Muniain opener the capital club have held nearly all of the possession.
21'
Muniain has scored a goal for Athletic Bilbao! Assist by I. Williams.
A fantastic bit of play from Williams who puts in on a plate for his midfielder.
GOOOOAAAALLLLL!!! 1-0 TO BILBAO. MUNIAIN!!!! The visitors break the deadlock and it’s a lovely goal. The ball is worked out to the right wing towards Williams who then waits for some much-needed back-up and picks out Muniain who converts from 12 yards out into the bottom right-hand corner of the Atletico net.
19'
The visitors grab their first corner of the contest after great work down the left wing by Muniain. Berenguer delivers towards the back post but Hermoso rises highest to clear the danger.
17'
Felipe rattles the post with a header from close range for the home side, but the flag is up for offside in the build-up. That’s the nearest either side has come so far to breaking the deadlock in this LaLiga match-up.
14'
It’s just not clicking upfront for Bilbao so far in this match. Williams is the latest to gift possession back to the home side as he steps over a pass from De Marcos. They'll need to work harder if they're to grab a positive result from this fixture.
12'
Lemar is the latest Atletico player to shoot from distance but his effort is blocked by Nunez. The home side are really beginning to up the pressure now on their opposition.
10'
Hermoso advances up the field for the hosts and has an effort from distance but it’s blocked by a Bilbao defender.
6'
The first corner of the night goes to the home side as Lemar sees a cross blocked behind by De Marcos. Atletico work it short, but the whistle goes for a foul on Simon in the Bilbao goal soon after.
5'
No attempts on either goal to speak of just yet but Atletico have begun to find their feet in this clash over the past few minutes. The hosts will need Koke and Llorente to put in a big shift tonight in the centre of the park if they are to grind out another home victory.
3'
It looks like it will be a 3-4-2-1 shape for the hosts this evening with Joao Felix and Lemar both playing just behind the lone strike Suarez. Bilbao have controlled much of the early possession so far as they look to upset the LaLiga table toppers.
1'
The referee blows his whistle and we’re underway here in the Spanish capital!
Atletico Madrid welcome Bilbao to the Spanish capital as they look to go six points clear at the top of the LaLiga standings with another victory. With the host’s form beginning to jitter slightly in recent weeks, a win tonight in their game in hand could put Diego Simeone’s men back on track as they hunt down their first LaLiga title since the 2013-14 season. The visitors however need a vital win to keep up their faint pursuit of Europa League qualification this campaign.
Hello and welcome to our live text commentary of this LaLiga fixture between Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.
ATHLETIC BILBAO (4-4-2): Unai Simon; Oscar De Marcos, Unai Nunez, Yeray Alvarez, Yuri; Alex Berenguer, Unai Lopez, Mikel Vesga, Iker Muniain; Raul Garcia, Inaki Williams.
ATLETICO MADRID SUBS: Ivo Grbic, Renan Lodi, Sime Vrsaljko, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Vitolo, Lucas Torreira, Saul Niguez, Angel Correa, Moussa Dembele.
ATLETICO MADRID (3-5-2): Jan Oblak; Mario Hermoso, Stefan Savic, Felipe; Kieran Trippier, Marcos Llorente, Koke, Thomas Lemar, Yannick Carrasco; Joao Felix, Luis Suarez.
ATHLETIC BILBAO SUBS: Jokin Ezkieta, Mikel Balenziaga, Ander Capa, Inigo Lekue, Dani Garcia, Ibai Gomez, Jon Morcillo, Oihan Sancet, Unai Vencedor, Oier Zarraga, Inigo Vicente, Asier Villalibre.
The visitors are without the experienced Inigo Martinez at the back as he serves a suspension but elsewhere on the pitch, there’s no new injury concerns. As a result, De Marcos, Nunez, Alvarez and Yuri form the backline with Berenguer, Vesga, Lopez and Muniain all starting across the midfield. Williams and Garcia start upfront for the visitors who are looking to extend their recent good run of form in the Spanish top-flight.
The players are emerging from the tunnel and kick-off is just moments away.
Expect to see manager Simeone make either a change at half time or a few very early into the second half if his team don’t respond further. They grabbed a pretty undeserved equaliser late on in the first half, but the hosts have been poor overall and Bilbao have looked extremely comfortable so far.
Thank you for following our coverage of tonight’s LaLiga match-up between Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao. Until next time, stay safe!
Next up for Atletico is a Madrid derby against lowly Getafe on Saturday evening whilst Bilbao travel to Celta Vigo on Sunday afternoon in a battle of two European qualification hopefuls.
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