Points shared as Athletic and Atletico show no signs of football's halt

Points were shared for San Mamés' return. Athletic and Atlético played a remarkable even game that saw both teams show they've been keeping up with their fitness just fine. It was a real battle that lasted an hour and a half, but it was resolved with two strikes in the final stretch of the first half.

The match began at a very high pace, against all odds. The usual in this resumption of the league is that the games take time to get into a rhythm, but this was not the case.

Athletic and Atlético were prepared to fight for the three points from the first moment. As a result, the dominance in the early stages of the game alternated, but it's the visitors who got the first chance. 

Marcos Llorente, in a surprising position as a link between the front and the midfield, assisted Yannick Carrasco, a starter with Diego Costa, and the Belgian managed to escape the mark of its rival and shot, too crossed, unable to take advantage of Unai Simon's slip.

That occasion spurred Athletic on, who gradually took control of the game, forcing Jan Oblak to intervene on more than one occasion.

Iñaki Williams tested him with a header in the 25th minute, but Athletic Bilbao's best chance came in the 33rd minute, when Yeray combed a Muniain cross to the far post, forcing Oblak to fly off the ball from his left post.

Athletic were maturing and it didn't take long for the goal to come. And so it did, in the 37th minute, when Yuri assisted a ubiquitous Muniain, who appeared almost magically in the centre of the box and ran to hit the ball with the outside of his boot and beat Oblak.

But the goal, far from being a problem for Atleti, revived Simeone's side. They didn't lick their wounds, they threw themselves forward for the equaliser, and they answered back two minutes later, taking advantage of a mistake by Yeray, perhaps the only one the centre-back made in the whole game.

Diego Costa scored and that was the game done despite a really competitive second half, which will no doubt have felt like an unfair result for both teams, who impressed with their first performance since football's return.