Hosts Eibar went into their Basque derby with Athletic Bilbao looking to end a torrid run of form that had seen them lose five straight games in La Liga.
Neither side set the game alight in the opening half, but Eibar stopper Jaime had to be alert to keep out Guillermo's effort, before some poor defending allowed Carlos Gurpegui to head Bilbao in front.
The second half continued in much the same fashion as the first, with Jaime producing some more standout goalkeeping to stop an effort from Athletic striker Aritz Aduriz.
The hosts were unable to muster much going forward as the game slowly edged away from them, leaving Bilbao to claim an important three points on the road.
Relive how all of the action developed with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
Good afternoon everyone and thank you for joining us for Eibar's Basque derby clash with travelling Athletic Bilbao. The home side are in desperate need of a win following a poor string of results in La Liga, while Ernesto Valverde's men will be hunting out three points in order to put their midweek Europa League elimination behind them.
Gaizka Garitano's side started the season impressively and come the half-way point had notched a total of 26 points from 19 matches. Things haven't quite gone their way in the second half of the season, though, with Eibar yet to win in 2015 having lost five games on the trot.
Today's hosts almost put an end to a torrid run of results last weekend when they faced Villarreal, but some poor goalkeeping from Xabier Irureta allowed Luciano Vietto to steal victory.
Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao know that a win today could move them into 10th spot in the La Liga standings, with these two teams sitting side-by-side in 12th and 13th. Bilbao was also be desperate to put their recent defeat at home to Torino behind them, with that result in midweek putting a stop to their Europa League ambitions.
Some team news for you now...
ATHLETIC BILBAO STARTING XI: Iraizoz; De Marcos, Balenziaga, Gurpegui, Etxeita, San Jose, Mikel Rico, Ibai, Muniain, Guillermo, Williams
ATHLETIC BILBAO SUBSTITUTES: Laporte, Benat, Iago HerrerIn, Susaeta, Iraola, Aduriz, Unai Lopez
EIBAR STARTING XI: Jaime; Boveda, Anibarro, Capa, Errasti, Arruabarrena, Dani Garcia, Lillo, Piovaccari, Manu, Raul Navas
EIBAR STARTING SUBSTITUTES: Irureta, Ekiza, Borja, Lekic, Didac Vila, Saul, Javi Lara
So, as expected Bilbao are still without Ander Iturraspe in midfield, but they'll be driven by the presence of Mikel Rico in the centre of the park. There's also a start for the unpredictable Iker Muniain up front, who will partner Guillermo.
As for Eibar, they are able to welcome key striker Federico Piovacarri back into the starting XI following a suspension, but there's no sign of Abraham who is suffering from a muscle problem. As expected, vice captain and supporting striker Mikel Arruabarrena also continues with the hosts seeking out three points at home.
Arruabarrena has been speaking to the press this week about Eibar's poor run of form, with the striker suggesting that the team needs to rediscover their intensity:
"We have to think about what we did well in the first half of the season and return to that level of intensity, because if we drop our intensity then we are a vulnerable team. We need to recover that hope and excitement we had from the first game in the Primera Division against Real Sociedad in August, and the will to play well."
We're just under five minutes away from kickoff now at the Municipal de Ipurua and it's time for me to give a prediction. I'm fancying the away side to get three points today. They'll be itching to set the record straight after Thursday's defeat to Torino in Europe, while victory today will also provide a route into the top half of the table.
Eibar have found goals a tad hard to come by in recent weeks and they'll be hoping that the return of Piovacarri in attack can help left them to victory over their local rivals.
KICKOFF! Bilbao get us underway here with a lofted ball forwards into the path of Williams, but he can't make anything of it as he's closed out by the Eibar defence.
Bilbao have settled nicely as Mikel Rico looks to play in Williams, who has started with a spring in his step on the right. Thankfully for the hosts, Boveda is across to clear the danger.
Mikel Rico sets his sights on the target having been found by Williams, but the midfielder's effort flies high and wide of the target. Bilbao have certainly started with some intent, though.
The away side continue to put some nice passing together and this time it lands up with Ibai Gomez, who then crosses for Guillermo. The striker is up and makes contact, only for Jaime to save comfortably.
Bilbao continue to put their imprint on the game with lots of neat work around the Eibar box. The hosts are standing firm at the moment as Garcia brings down Williams 30 yards out from goal. The ball is whipped into the area where Williams gambles to connect with a header as the linesman raises his flag for offside. A decent headed effort, although it was easily kept out by Jaime.
Muniain is looking to put a shift in as he closes down Jaime. The keeper's kick falls kindly to Ibai, who then tries to feed the ball back into the channel for his teammate, but he's flagged offside.
Eibar threaten for the first real time in the game and they may be kicking themselves for the miss. Manu del Moral gets some space down the flank and produces a cross for Piovaccari, who sends a header just over the top corner of goal.
The home side come fairly close again as Manu looks to get inside and find a shot, leaving Iraizoz to make a comfortable save. That was all down to Mikel Arruabarrena really, who produced some great enterprise to find his teammate in space.
SAVE! Oscar De Marcos does really well down the flank to beat his man and pick out a cross for the on-rushing Guillermo, but Jaime does brilliantly to get down and keep the striker's effort out at the bottom-left corner of goal.
Mikel Rico tries to put the Eibar keep under a bit off pressure again with a shot from distance, however his effort is fairly tame and the Eibar stopper saves with ease in the centre of goal.
We've had a slight lull in the game after a quick opening from the visitors. Eibar have looked to slow the pace of the game down and it has worked so far.
Poor from Eibar! They get a corner that's eventually clear to Lillo on the edge of the area. He tries a simple through-ball back into the path of Manu del Moral, without realising his teammate is about five yards offside...
YELLOW CARD! The game's first card goes to Eibar Raul Navas, who is booked for bringing down Mikel Balenziaga in his own half.
Bilbao rob the Eibar defence and Muniain looks to slip in Guillermo down the right flank. The striker just about gets the ball under control before Raul Navas comes through with a brilliant sliding tackle on the edge of the box to clear for a corner. Danger averted, for now...
Still nothing much to report from this game as both sides seem content to pass it around like a training match. There's been very little intent since the early stages of the game. Neither side has produced the quality required to fashion something goal-worthy.
SHOT! Eibar scrappily win the ball back from Bilbao in their own half and the leather is fed into the feet of the advancing Manu del Moral, who drags his shot wide of the Athletic goal.
GOAL! EIBAR 0-1 ATHLETIC BILBAO (CARLOS GURPEGI)
And where did that come from? Out of the blue we have a goal to speak of... Bilbao win a throw down in the right corner, where the ball is then played into Oscar De Marcos, who has a little bit of space to work with. He sends in a hopeful ball into the box, where Gurpegi is left totally free to advance forward and head past a helpless Jaime. Terrible defending from the home side.
SAVE! We've become accustomed to Bilbao sides who pass the ball nicely in recent years, but there hasn't been much of that on show today. This chance comes via Mikel San Jose's free kick, which is smartly saved by Jaime down at the right corner. The rebound falls to Muniain, who can't find the target with a shot that flies into the side-netting.
SAVE! Jaime does really well again to keep his side in with a shout in this contest. Bilbao break down the right where Williams sends in a teasing ball into the middle of the box. Muniain gets a foot to it, before the Eibar keeper manages to smother the shot having come off his line. Still 1-0 to the visitors.
HALF TIME: EIBAR 0-1 ATHLETIC BILBAO
Hmm, that was hardly the half of football I was expecting in the build up to this encounter. Neither side have shown much quality when on the ball, and the visitors find themselves ahead only because of some poor defending. Jaime has had a brilliant half, however, having kept his side in the game with that save to deny Muniain late on.
Eibar haven't shown enough going forward. Most of what they've put together has been rushed and easy for Bilbao to clear. The away side have not been that much better, but they've profited from some sloppy work at the back. Muniain has looked the standout player so far with his work rate and movement inside the box.
As it stands, statistics show that Eibar have had more of the ball with 55% possession - though they've done very little with it. Jaime has been busy in the first period and has had to keep out seven attempts on target from Bilbao.
So what can Eibar do to get themselves back into this contest? Firstly they'll need to tighten up at the back. They've looked vulnerable in defence. Garitano might look towards some changes in midfield, and maybe even towards the shape of his 4-5-1 formation, as Piovacarri is cutting an isolated figure alone up top.
Bilbao will be pretty pleased with the scoreline given their lack of quality. If they're able to grab a second goal this game should be a relatively easy one to see out. Mikel Rico is going to need to wrestle control of the midfield and encourage his teammates to pass with a little more intent.
I'm still backing the away side to grab three points. This one-goal lead is an important one to have given how listless things have been on the pitch. If they can turn on the fireworks or produce a bit more quality I'm sure they'll grab a second goal to kill the game off. It would be an important three points to left them into 10th spot in the La Liga standings.
The players are now back out on the pitch at the Municipal de Ipurua as we await the start of the second period...
KICKOFF! The home side get proceedings started again as they looked to earn a route back into the game.
SAVE! Decent start for the hosts as Manu del Moral sizes up a shot from outside of the area, which forces Iraizoz into a save up at his top-right corner.
Good keeping from the Bilbao stopper again this time as he rushes off his line to commandingly claim a ball into the box. Eibar have started quite brightly in this second half and they're looking to put a little more pressure on the visitors already.
Athletic appear a little flustered at the moment. The ball is being pinged from end to end without anyone really taking a stand to put a foot on it. San Jose received a lofted ball and takes it down calmly at the back, but he invites more pressure by hoofing it straight back to the Eibar midfield.
YELLOW CARD! Mikel San Jose picks up a yellow for a handball just over the halfway line.
Bilbao have rushed things going forward so far in the second offering of 45. Guillermo looks to break in behind the defence with a smart run, but the pass is overhit and Eibar claim the goal kick.
The visitors need to make a change if they want to put this game out of sight. Things just aren't working for Bilbao at the moment. As soon as they win the ball back it's played around far too sloppily. It looks like Aduriz is going through his warm-ups on the touchline.
SUBSTITUTE: Aduriz comes on to replace Guillermo in attack for Bilbao.
Bilbao get the space to counter attack for the first time in the second half as Gomez bursts forward at pace. He looks for the cross into Aduriz, but his effort doesn't make it past the first man.
CLOSE! The away side push into another gear from nowhere and the ball is slipped into Williams inside the Eibar box. He looks to turn and get the shot away only to slip and give up possession at the vital moment.
SUBSTITUTION: Eibar make a change with Javi Lara replacing Piovaccari up front.
Gomez is again afford space out on the left flank and he drives towards the box. However, just like last time, his cross into the box is poor and allows Jaime to come off his line untroubled to collect.
Good from Eibar. They move down to the other end with a mazing run from Capa on the right. It looks like he's cutting it fine, but he jinks a cross back which looks headed for Lara, only for Iraizoz to spring off his line to capture the ball in flight.
Muniain is starting to influence this game again. He's dropped a little deeper and is playing just behind the strikers. This time he comes short to collect from Mikel Rico, but his inventive pass for the run of Williams is thwarted by Anibarro.
15 minutes left to play and Eibar still have the chance to salvage something from this game. Lara has sought to try and run in behind the defence, but Bilbao have been on their guard. Both sides are working the ball fairly well up until the final third, where things seem to break down.
SHOT! Gomez picks up possession on the left and cuts inside towards the box. He can't get past Boveda so instead decides to fire off a shot on goal. It's nothing to worry Jaime too much, with the ball flying high and wide of the target.
CLOSE! Fantastic work from Didac Vila sees the winger break down the left where he's got the full beating of his full-back. He smashes a cross in low towards the advancing Lara, but Iraizoz gets off his line to smother the danger.
SAVE! Jaime has been brilliant when called upon all afternoon. Andoni Iraola moves down the right channel before whipping a well timed delivery into the path of Aduriz at the back-post. The striker rises above his marker to send a header back across the face of goal towards the far corner, leaving Jaime to throw up a fist and save brilliantly.
SUBSTITUTION: Markel Susaeta comes on to replace Ibai Gomez for the visitors.
Five minutes to go and this could suddenly becoming exciting for the neutrals as Eibar go in search of an equaliser. The hosts fire in a corner towards the lingering Lara, but San Jose shows his strength to clear.
SHOT! Bilbao have a corner which is cleared only as far as Mikel Rico on the edge of the box. The ball is bouncing, but it falls kindly to the midfielder, who breaks on to it to deliver a volley that rises high and wide of Jaime's goal frame.
The away side have possession back and they are just looking to see the game out now. Lots of short and simple stuff from the side in green.
Two minutes of additional time for Eibar to find something here... Otherwise it's six losses in six games for Garitano's men.
We're down deep into the Eibar corner as Bilbao look to see out the three points. The away side win a vital throw after some last-minute wrestling.
FULL TIME: EIBAR 0-1 ATHLETIC BILBAO
By no means a classic, but it's a fairly important win for Bilbao who move temporarily into 10th spot in the La Liga standings. The away side probably edged it, given that they were more interested in making something happen when compared to the hosts. Eibar's Jaime produced some fantastic saves to keep the scoreline down, but in the end some poor defending for the goal is the major difference between the two sides come full time.
Written by
Christopher Dodd
Christopher Dodd
