La Liga: Late own-goal end Athletic Bilbao’s unbeaten run in Spain
An unfortunate own-goal goalkeeper Unai Simón ended Athletic Bilbao’s unbeaten run as the club fell to a 3-2 loss to Mallorca in the Spanish league.
Athletic rallied from two goals down in the second half but conceded in the 88th minute when Takefusa Kubo’s shot from close range hit the post and bounced off Simón’s head before going back into the net.
The goal ended Athletic’s five-match unbeaten run in all competitions and kept the Basque Country club from moving closer to the European qualification places in the Spanish league. It stayed in eighth place, two points from seventh-place Villarreal and five from fourth-place Barcelona in the final Champions League place.
It was the second win in a row for 15th-place Mallorca after it had lost four straight in the league. The victory moved Mallorca six points above the drop with a game in hand compared to two teams in the relegation zone.
The hosts opened the scoring with a penalty kick converted Salva Sevilla in the 22nd and added to the lead in the 30th through Ángel Rodríguez before Athletic came back with a goal Raúl García in the 59th and another Álex Berenguer in the 61st at Son Moix Stadium.
Athletic was coming off a 1-1 draw against Valencia in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals last week. It is trying to reach the Copa final for the third straight season and win the title for the first time since 1984.
Athletic’s next league match is against Basque Country rival Real Sociedad on Sunday. Mallorca visits third-place Real Betis on the same day.
