Villarreal secured a 2–1 away victory at Athletic Bilbao's San Mamés stadium (a celebrated fortress ground in the Basque Country, northern Spain) in a La Liga (Spain's top football division) fixture, with goals from Sergi Cardona in the 25th minute and Alfon González in the 49th putting the visitors firmly in control. Athletic pulled one back through Gorka Guruzeta in the 83rd minute, but it was too late to prevent defeat. The result is particularly notable for Villarreal manager Marcelino García Toral, who had never previously won at San Mamés as a visiting coach, and it strengthens his side's hold on third place in the league table.