Athletic Bilbao 4 - Oviedo 0

Bilbao: Lafuente; Lacruz, Roberto Rios, Alkorta, Del Horno; Oscar Vales, Orbaiz (Alkiza 78'); Joseba Etxeberria (Yeste 38'), Julen Guerrero, Javi González; Urzaiz. 4-2-3-1.
Oviedo: Esteban; Pablo Suárez, Danjou, Martinovic, Boris (Ivo 70'); Amieva (Möller 57'), Onopko, Tomic, Iván Ania; Losada, Oli (Jaime 70'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Bilbao: Del Horno, Oscar Vales, Orbaiz, Urzaiz for Larrazábal, Urrutia, Felipe, Larrainzar / Oviedo: Pablo Suárez, Boris for Keita, Rabarivony.

Goals:
1-0. 48. Yeste. Headed back into roof of net after Javi González cross from right.
2-0. 57. Yeste. From close range after Esteban blocked Urzaiz shot from right.
3-0. 63. Javi González. Ran on to Lacruz pass, cut in and scored from wide angle.
4-0. 91. Julen Guerrero. Took Yeste pass and ran through from own half to score.

Athletic Bilbao finally came good, moving away from the relegation spots with a brilliant second half performance in which they scored four times. Without taking merit away from them however, they were up against the side with the worst away record of the league, Oviedo, who have now gone seven games without scoring a single goal outside of their beloved Nuevo Tartiere stadium. Bilbao's manager Txetxu Rojo was forced to go back to the drawing board for this match having finally found his ideal midfield pairing, with both men, Urrutia and Felipe, suspended for a game. In then came Oscar Vales and youngster Orbaiz, now back after a long injury, with another youngster, Del Horno, returning at left back.

Oviedo's manager Radomir Antic does not like making changes, although he was forced to replace suspended right back Keita with one of his up and coming youngsters, Pablo Suárez, who was making his first start for his team. He could however bring back another first choice player, under 21 international Boris, who passed a late fitness test. The first 45 minutes were no indication of what was to come, with neither team getting a shot on target until shortly before half time. But then Joseba Etxeberria had to leave the field with a twisted ankle, and on came yet another of Bilbao's home grown players, Fran Yeste. Within minutes he had tested Esteban, and two minutes after the interval he beat the keeper with a header from a wide angle into the roof of the net.

After that it was all Athletic, and after Martinovic cleared off the line from Javi González, Yeste got his second after Esteban turned away a shot from Urzaiz. González got a third, shooting wide of the keeper when he was expecting a cross, and Yeste crowned off his performance, dribbling the ball past three players out of defence, before producing the pass of the night to set up Julen Guerrero for the fourth. For the first time this season Bilbao had kept a clean sheet at home, but then that is not difficult against this opposition. Nobody can explain why Oviedo have won six games in a row at home but have failed to score away. They play with the same side and the same system in virtually all games, so maybe it's the way the driver handles the team bus to away games or something. Whatever the case Oviedo stay in eighth place, but their rivals are now only two points behind them in eleventh.