Coach Gaizka Garitano sent out a strong line-up for the heavyweight friendly match against Italian outfit AS Roma as Athletic Club made their final overseas voyage of this pre-season programme.
The starting XI of Unai Simón, Capa, Yeray, Iñigo Martínez, Yuri Berchiche, Dani García, Unai López, Muniain, Raúl García, Córdoba, Williams could give a strong indication of his preferences for the first match of the Liga campaign against Barcelona on the 16th of August.
Garitano will be pleased with the performance from his charges in this encounter as they more than matched Roma and were highly unlucky not to leave with a victory. Muniain gave Athletic Club the lead in the 26th minute and they held it until Kolarov equalised for Roma with a free-kick in the 59th minute. Yuri Berchiche was then sent off but the ten men of Athletic regained the lead through a Raúl García penalty in the 77th minute. They were only denied right at the death when then referee awarded Roma a highly dubious penalty for a handball that seemed to have been committed by a Roma player.
Garitano only made three substitutions during this tie, bringing on Unai Núñez for Córdoba just after the hour mark and introducing Kodro and Vesga in the last ten minutes.