The points where shared at the San Mames Barria in a brutal encounter between Athletic Bilbao and Valencia. The visitors looked set to take all three points, but a late strike from their former striker, Artiz, Aduriz, saw the two teams take a point each.
The opening chance of the first half came in the 23rd minute when Paco Alcacer, fired from the edge of the penalty box, but Iraizoz made a good parry to deny the Spanish youngster, however Valencia thought they should had been awarded a penalty as Iraizoz caught Feghouli when the Athletic keeper took out the Algerian winger moments after Alcacer’s shot, but the referee allowed play to continue. Valencia where forced to take Piatti off in the 26th minute after a knock the winger received earlier in the game, was too much for the Argentina winger. Bilbao came close in the 43rd minute when a Lopez corner found its way to Williams, but the winger couldn’t convert the flying ball, and his shot smashed into the side netting.
Bilbao should had been a goal up in the 46th minute when an Mikel San Jose header from a corner was met with an incredible stretching save by Diego Alves, to keep the score at a stalemate. Aduriz almost broke the deadlock when the Spanish striker hang in the air to head the ball past a motionless Diego Alves from inside the penalty box, but Otamendi made an incredible mid air block to save Valencia. Despite their chances, it was the visitors who would take the lead through substitute De Paul. Rodrigo broke into the penalty box and laid the ball off to Paco Alcacer, but the striker dummied the ball to an open up Rodrigo De Paul, and the winger beautifully finished the ball past Iraizoz, to give Valencia the lead.
Alvaro Negredo almost assisted a fantastic second goal for Valencia when in the 72nd minute the on loan Manchester City striker chipped the ball towards an open Rodrigo, but the former Benfica start couldn’t capitalize on the chance, and the ball flew by the post for a goal kick. Rodrigo came close again when a free kick from close range found the striker in the penalty box, but Rodrigo’s beautiful controlled shot was well saved by Iraizoz.
The game turned sour moments later when Valencia were reduced to 10 men, when Otamendi was controversially sent off for a late challenge on San Jose, both teams exploded into rage against one another, involving all 11 players from both teams, causing both keepers to receive yellow cards for their involvement. The incident proved pivotal when Aduriz equalised for the Basque team in the 90th minute. The tall striker burst through the penalty box, trying to set up Viguera from close range, but the ball was played back to Aduriz via the post, and the former Valencia striker tucked the ball into the far corner, to give Bilbao the equaliser against his former team.