Athletic Club 0–0 Deportivo Alavés | La Liga | 19 September 2026

Result Summary

A goalless draw at San Mamés left both Athletic Club and Deportivo Alavés with a share of the spoils, in what proved to be a deeply frustrating afternoon for the home side. Despite thoroughly dominating proceedings, Edin Terzic's men were unable to convert their overwhelming territorial and statistical superiority into the goals their performance arguably deserved.

Match Analysis

The numbers tell a damning story for Athletic Club. 24 total shots — including 6 on target — against Alavés' remarkable return of just 2 total shots and zero on target underscores just how one-sided this contest was in terms of attacking intent. Athletic controlled 69% of possession, completed passes at a 90% success rate, and generated 38 dangerous attacks compared to the visitors' 8. Yet the scoreboard remained blank.

Alavés, guided by Enrique Sánchez Flores, arrived with a clear defensive mandate and executed it with discipline and, at times, fortune. Goalkeeper Antonio Sivera Salvá and his back line absorbed wave after wave of Athletic pressure, with 5 corners won by the hosts reflecting their consistent threat from wide areas. Alavés were also caught offside on three occasions, a telltale sign of a deep, structured defensive line looking to catch opponents out on the break.

The first half saw Athletic build patiently, with Oihan Sancet Tirapu and Beñat Gerenabarrena Zendoia driving play from midfield, while Iñaki Williams and Nicholas Williams offered consistent width and movement. Terzic made bold changes at the break, introducing Jesús Areso Blanco in place of J. Louis-Jean, and further freshened the attack on 62 minutes by bringing on Alejandro Berenguer Remiro and Maroan Sannadi Harrouch, the latter replacing Iñaki Williams in a clear bid to alter the attacking dynamic.

Alavés themselves rotated heavily from the 65th minute onward, with Flores sending on Antonio Martínez López, Youssef Enríquez Lekhedim, Antonio Blanco Conde, Angel Pérez Hidalgo, and Carles Aleña Castillo in quick succession — essentially shoring up a tired defensive unit and killing the game's rhythm.

Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta Etxeberria picked up a yellow card in the 71st minute for a foul, while Jesús Areso Blanco was booked deep into stoppage time for dissent, reflecting the frustration that had built on the Athletic bench and in the stands.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match forecast leaned toward a Deportivo Alavés victory (Away: 42%, Draw: 26%, Home: 32%), with a predicted scoreline of 1–2. That forecast proved incorrect, with the match ending 0–0. It is worth noting, however, that the low confidence rating of 39/100 correctly flagged this as an uncertain fixture. The draw probability of 26% was not negligible, and Alavés' defensive resilience was always a credible scenario given their setup under Sánchez Flores. The outcome sits closer to our draw estimate than the predicted away win, though neither was fully realised.

Key Takeaways

• Athletic Club were wasteful in front of goal — 24 shots and 14 key passes yielding zero goals is a conversion problem that Terzic must address urgently.
• Alavés' defensive discipline was exceptional, frustrating a well-resourced home side with a minimal attacking output of their own.
• The draw, while a fair reflection of survival instincts versus attacking inefficiency, will feel like two points dropped for Athletic at San Mamés.
• Both managers leaned heavily on their benches in the second half, signalling the importance each side placed on extracting a positive result from what became an attritional contest.