(Reuters) – Athletic Bilbao climbed to the third position in La Liga after securing a 2-1 victory at home in the Basque derby against Real Sociedad on Saturday. Alex Berenguer was the hero of the match, scoring both goals for Bilbao in the first half.
With this win, Bilbao now has 41 points, putting them level with Barcelona in fourth place and seven points behind the leaders, Real Madrid and Girona. All three teams have a game in hand, making the title race quite intense.
Berenguer put Bilbao ahead at the half-hour mark by tapping in a close-range cross, and then doubled their lead 12 minutes later by seizing on a rebound opportunity. This remarkable performance by Berenguer was crucial in securing the victory for Bilbao.
Real Sociedad tried to make a late comeback, and Mikel Oyarzabal managed to pull one back for them two minutes before stoppage time. However, Bilbao managed to hold on to their lead and secure the important three points.
With this loss, Real Sociedad finds themselves in the sixth position with 32 points in the La Liga standings, and they will be looking to bounce back in their next match.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Ed Osmond)
