First Division - Day 33

Athletic Bilbao 1 - Sevilla 3

Athletic: Aranzubia; César, Murillo, Lacruz, Del Horno; Gurpegui, Tiko (Julen Guerrero 63'); Etxeberría (Solabarrieta 82'), Yeste, Ezquerro; Urzaiz (Llorente 63'). 4-2-3-1.
Sevilla: Notario; Daniel Alvés, Sergio Ramos, David Prieto, David; Jordi (Casquero 85'), Martí; Jesús Navas, Baptista, Adriano (Jesuli 71'); Makukula (Darío Silva 55'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Athletic: César, Murillo, Del Horno, Urzaiz for Iraola, Casas, Solabarrieta, Orbaiz / Sevilla: Daniel Alvés, David Prieto, for Aitor Ocio, Pablo Alfaro, .

Goals:
0-1. 07. Baptista. Bent free kick over defensive wall into top corner of net.
0-2. 21. Jesús Navas. Cut past three defenders and beat keeper with long shot.
0-3. 75. Baptista. Diving header wide of Aranzubia from Jesús Navas cross.
1-3. 89. Julen Guerrero. Took short pass and made space to shoot past Notario.

Sevilla took advantage of Villarreal's defeat the night before to move clear in third place after beating Athletic Bilbao 1-3. The local crowd were in a positive mood after their ladies side were presented with their third league title in a row before the kick off, but the atmosphere soon changed when their male counterparts went behind early on from a well struck Baptista free kick. Aranzubia had to be at his best soon afterwards to keep out a strike from Jesús Navas, and Athletic's only reply was a long shot from Etxeberría which Notario had no problems dealing with.

The goal of the night though came midway through the first half, Navas picking up the ball on the right wing and dribbling past three defenders before firing a shot past Aranzubia for Sevilla's second. Notario was in action to keep out an Urzaiz header and a Tiko free kick a few minutes later, but Adriano put the local keeper to the test again before the break.

It was end to end stuff, and shortly after the visitors had run the ball wide, Notario kept out another effort from Ezquerro. But with a quarter of an hour to go Navas picked the ball up on the right and floated the ball across for Baptista to throw himself forward and direct a header wide of the keeper. That wrapped things up, and although Julen Guerrero came on to score a late consolation the result was never in doubt. The midweek exertions in the cup had taken their toll, and Ernesto Valverde's team had missed out on a chance to close up on the European spots.