Villarreal 0 - Athletic Bilbao 0

Villarreal: López Vallejo; Galván, Berruet, Quique Álvarez, Arruabarrena; Jorge López (Escoda 70'), Amor (Gracia 60'), Cagna, Calleja (Unai 60'); Víctor, Marioni. 4-4-2.
Bilbao: Lafuente; Lacruz, Alkorta, Oscar Vales, Larrazábal, Urrutia (Roberto Rios 90'), Orbaiz; Joseba Etxeberria, Julen Guerrero, Del Horno (Felipe 70'); Urzaiz (Javi González 80'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Villarreal: Marioni for Moisés / Bilbao: Orbaiz, Del Horno for Javi González, Yeste.

Goals: None.

Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal are both going through a bad patch after starting reasonably well, and neither did much to improve their position with this result. Athletic Bilbao have now gone three games without a goal, and although this did constitute an away point, their manager Txetxu Roja still has some work to do. He is fairly decided on his system, using the 4-2-3-1 formation that is currently the mode in Spain, but he has yet to fit the players into the jigsaw. This week saw Orbaiz come back into the team, with another youngster Del Horno, usually a defender, playing out on the left wing. Both played well, with Del Horno (who Barcelona tried to sign last season) joining the attack on occasions and almost scoring from a header early on.

Villarreal have not won now in four weeks, and they too are finding it hard to score. They have only got five goals in their first seven games, with new signing Víctor getting two of them, and his namesake Víctor Muñoz brought back Marioni for this match, the Argentinian forward finally available after his four match suspension. His were the best efforts of his side, and he tested keeper Lafuente on three or four occasions. All in all there were not many goal chances, although both sides did hit the woodwork in the second half, with Etxeberria heading Larrazábal's corner against the bar and substitute Javier Gracia hitting the post two minutes from time. Both sides used up their three substitutes later in the game to try and spice up the match, with Villarreal's Olympic defender Unai making his debut on the hour mark.

In the end probably a fair result, which with Valladolid and Oviedo both losing actually leaves Villarreal two places higher in ninth. Bilbao stay in fourteenth, only three points above the relegation places. In Spain, yellow is considered unlucky, especially in bullfighting, where toreadors will never wear it. Having only taken a point in their last two matches from the two newly promoted teams Las Palmas and Villarreal, both of whom wear yellow shirts, they have to agree. Luckily their next match is against Zaragoza, who wear white. They need a change of fortune right now.