Deportivo Beat Bilbao In Riazor Thriller

Deportivo La Coruña beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 in an enthralling match in the Riazor, that featured two penalties and plenty of missed opportunities for either side.

The hosts took the lead early on in the first-half when Zé Castro tapped in a rebound from Joan Verdú's free-kick but they should have been pegged back just a minute later, when Andoni Iraola had the chance to score from the spot. However, the Basque saw his weak shot saved and Depor went in two nil up at the break after Verdú made no mistake with penalty, following a reckless challenge by Fernando Amorebieta on Rodolfo Bodipo.

Athletic did not let their heads drop though and despite the fact Depor had plenty of chance to kill the game, and should have had another penalty, the away side did grab a goal in the second-half. Javi Martínez got on the end of a Pablo Orbaíz cross and he headed home to give the Basque team a glimmer of hope.

Like the home side though they squandered great opportunities to score and couldn't grab the equaliser as the clock wore down. Instead Depor hit them on the break deep into injury-time as Andrés Guardado finished off a flowing move with a nice finish to seal the three points for the home side.

First-Half

Both games came to the Riazor with contrasting fortunes from their previous matches, a loss for Deportivo and a win for Bilbao, but nevertheless the game started at a great pace. The away side began the brightest too, with Fernando Llorente and David López both firing in shots that were blocked by the Depor defence. El Turco were in no mood to be bossed on their home ground though and Rodolfo Bodipo tested Gorka Iraizoz with a low shot before Ángel Lafita saw his shot fly just wide of the far post from across goal.

The home side made their pressure count in the 20th minute too when Joan Verdú curled a cheeky free-kick in from the right-flank that completely caught Iraizoz offguard at his near-post, hitting the woodwork and falling for Zé Castro to tap in. The half-empty Riazor went crazy but just minutes later Bilbao had the chance to level things from the spot when Llorente was pulled down in the box as he jostled with a defender. However, expert penalty-taker, Andoni Iraola, saw his poorly directed spot-kick saved by Daniel Aranzubía, low and down to his left.

The game was so open that nearly straight after the miss Depor went up the other end and should have scored themselves when Andrés Guardado was one-on-one with Iraizoz. The Mexican couldn't finish first time though and even when the rebound fell straight to him he simply hit it at the 'keeper again when he had the goal to aim at. Only after a couple of reckless challenges in midfield did the game slow down to a normal pace and with the half drawing in it was a needless challenge that produced the second goal, and second penalty of the game. Bodipo received the ball on the left side of the box and even though he had no support and was going nowhere, Fernando Amorebieta stuck out a leg and bought him down.

At first the referee seemed to give a corner but after consultation with the linesman he pointed to the spot and Verdú slotted past Iraizoz to give Depor a two nil lead going into the break.

Second-Half

The pace of the game was much the same after the interval as it had been for much of the first-half too, with Llorente volleying just wide from close-range from early on. Deportivo should have had their second penalty of the game when Verdú burst through into the box and skipped round Iraizoz, only to be bought down by his trailing hand. The referee gave nothing though, much to the disbelief of the home fans and players, in truth though Verdú probably could have stayed on his feet and scored.

The 'keeper atoned for his error just a mintue later though as Guardado hit a great first time shot, only for Iraizoz to make a great reflex save. At the other end Llorente was looking dangerous and he should have done better with a one-on-one but he ended up chipping into the hands of Aranzubia. Bilbao were struggling for any creativity in midfield though and the home side were making chance after chance; Guardado spurned another decent opportunity as he flicked Lafita's cross just wide of the post.

The hosts were punished for their lack of finishing with twenty minutes left too, as Javi Martínez gave them a glimmer of hope with a cool finish past Aranzubia. The midfielder got on the end of a nice cross from Pablo Orbaiz and headed into the net, picking the ball up after he did so and running back to the centre-circle.

The goal seemed to spur Bilbao on and Llorente was guilty of missing a couple of great chances for the Basque team as the time ticked away. First he mis-controlled when in a good position inside the box and then the striker blasted at a team-mate when he was just 6 yards out from goal, with the 'keeper on the floor. Both Llorente and Martínez, the player who it hit, had their heads in their hands and deep into injury-time it got worse for Bilbao too as Depor sealed all three points with a clinical counter-attacking goal.

The home side burst from their own half and Sergio found Filipe, who in turn played through Guardado, and he slotted past Iraizoz to send the crowd into raptures. It was a brilliant finish to a brilliant game but for Bilbao it was a match they feel they should have taken something from.

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