Bilbao beat Osasuna to ease pressure on Bielsa
Reuters - Monday 17 October 2011, 20:58
Athletic Bilbao continued their
fledgling revival after a poor start to the campaign when Iker
Muniain, Igor Gabilondo and Javi Martinez struck in a 3-1 La
Liga win at home to 10-man Osasuna on Monday.
Athletic's new Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa had been under
pressure after the Basque club took only two points from their
opening five games but a second consecutive win lifts them to
11th on eight points from seven matches.
Spain Under-21 international Muniain (pictured) put the home side ahead
on the half hour at their imposing San Mames stadium, before
Gabilondo and Martinez made it 3-0 before the break.
Osasuna's Iran midfielder Javad Nekounam pulled a goal back
from the penalty spot in the first minute of second-half
stoppage-time after Martinez handled the ball in the area.
The Pamplona-based club finished the match a man down after
their Ivory Coast-born midfielder Roland Lamah earned two yellow
cards in the space of seven second-half minutes.
The second came with around 20 minutes left after he
appeared to catch Muniain on the side of the head with a
flailing arm.
In weekend action, La Liga top scorer Lionel Messi netted
his ninth and 10th goals of the campaign in a 3-0 win for
Barcelona at home to Racing Santander on Saturday.
The champions were joined at the top on 17 points by
surprise package Levante. The tiny Valencia-based club extended
their remarkable early-season run with a 3-0 win at home to
10-man Malaga on Sunday.
The pair have a one-point advantage over third-placed Real
Madrid, who thumped visiting Real Betis 4-1 on Saturday thanks
to a third hat-trick in two weeks from Messi's Argentina team-mate Gonzalo Higuain.