Athletic Club overcame a one goal deficit to run out easy winners against Segunda Division B outfit Arenas Getxo in their first outing of the new season on Saturday.
Athletic went behind in the 31st minute to a strike from Matador at the Campo de Fadura, but they were only behind for six minutes until veteran striker Aritz Aduritz leveled the scores in the 37th minute. It stayed that way until the hour mark when the flood gates opened and the gulf in class began to tell with Raul Garcia and Iñaki Williams scoring in quick succession before Ibai Gómez, 21-year-old striker Iñigo Vicente Elorduy, and Williams again, made it 6-1.
The fresh legs may have also been a factor as Athletic coach Gaizka Garitano changed his entire XI at the interval. He began the match with the following selection:
Iago Herrerín – Yeray, Yuri Berchiche, De Marcos – Unai López, San José, Muniain, Larrazabal, Vesga – Córdoba, Aduriz.
Evidently wanting to assess as many of his playing squad as possible after the summer break, Garitano fielded the following XI in the second period:
Ezkieta – Vivian, Balenziaga, Capa, Nolaskoain – Dani García, Raúl García, Sancet – Iñigo Vicente, Ibai, Williams.