Alavés will play against Levante in the final for promotion to the First Division. They beat Eibar with an early goal from Rebbach and another late from Villalibre, which gave them the opportunity to play for the remaining place for glory. The Gipuzkoans, on the other hand, failed again, like the previous season, in their attempt to touch the sky. Like a year ago, they played it with their fingertips and sank in the last few bars. This time it has not been so cruel, however. Its decline in the final phase has been evident.
2
Sivera, Abdel Abqar (Laguardia, min. 78), Rubén Duarte, Nahuel Tenaglia (Anderson Arroyo, min. 72), Sedlar, Luis Rioja, Guridi (Carlos Benavídez, min. 78), Abderrahman Rebbach, Antonio Blanco, Salva Sevilla ( Toni Moya, min. 38) and Mamadou (Villalibre, min. 72)
0
Luca Zidane, Rober (Peru Nolaskoain, min. 69), Chema, Juan Berrocal, Tejero, Quique (José Corpas, min. 56), Javi Muñoz (Aketxe, min. 45), Matheus Pereira, Yanis Rahmani (Jon Bautista, min. 45), Sergio Álvarez (Gustavo Blanco, min. 79) and Stoichkov
goals 1-0 min. 1: Abderrahman Rebbach. 2-0 min. 88: Villalibre.
Referee Adrian Cordero Vega
Garitano’s score was changed before the first minute. He had 90 plus extra time to wear down Alavés with his particular Bolero de Ravel, that ostinato in crescendo waiting for any out of tune note from the locals to collapse the orchestra from Vitoria, but the plans had to be modified, because the baton had not yet moved and the albiazules had already taken the lead. It was a masterful move by García Plaza, who ordered Luis Rioja, on the first play, instead of looking for the opponent’s area to the left, as usual, to do so to the right. The confusion of the Eibar defenders, who did not know how to stop the local winger, turned into a couple of dribbles, one to the right, the other to the left, which opened up enough space for him to cross with his left foot and put it on his head Rebbach, who beat Luca Zidane from close range.
Everything changed from that moment, and almost until the end. If Eibar was not interested in taking the initiative but in waiting for Alavés’ mistake, before the first minute, they had to change their plans. Alavés gave him the ball and let him drown on the shore every time he reached his area. The gunsmith team tried with shots from outside the area. The best was for Correa, who kicked hard, but Sivera responded by putting his arms in. He put up with Alavés well until the break, knowing that Garitano would have to modify the pieces to try to turn the game around.
That’s how it went. He put Aketxe and Jon Bautista on the field, to form a team with a marked offensive desire, and pushed Alavés to defend themselves near the area. Stoichkov had the best chance to equalize, but on the first try, Sivera deflected his hard shot, and on the second, two defenders put their foot in to avoid greater harm.
With the referee, Cordero Vega, cutting the pace more than the Alavés players, who were the beneficiaries, Eibar once again had another chance that ended with a high shot, but then it was Alavés, playing on the counter with intelligence, the who had the most diaphanous. Asier Villalibre had come out onto the field, applauded like a demigod, and he immediately showed the reason for that reception, when he received in midfield, fought with the center-back, and put a delicious ball to Abde, who, alone against Luca, shot high. But it was Villalibre once again who put an end to the concern of the stands, in the 88th minute, when he received a ball on the left, slipped through the defenses, and crossed in front of the Eibar goalkeeper to seal the tie. Vitoria vibrates with the possibility of promotion, but Levante is there.
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