Athletic underline Lezama strength with academy-heavy starting XI in league opener | OneFootball

Athletic opened their league campaign with an academy-heavy side, eight Lezama graduates starting as only Areso, Yuri and Berenguer were developed elsewhere, as reported by as.com.

The midfield pairing of Gerenabarrena and Canales caught the eye, both products of the club’s youth system. Director of football Mikel González played down any surprise, describing loans as pathways and noting the duo shone last season and through pre-season, with the crowd expected to lift them.

Further homegrown influence came from the bench, with Galarreta, Rincón, Laporte and Nico introduced.

On Terzic, González said the club already understood his methods before his arrival, having been in contact for some time. He called the start to the league demanding, and stressed a solid pre-season with the team in a good moment.

With little of the summer window left, it appears González is not opening the door to incoming signings. The club are seeking solutions for Gorosabel, Vencedor and Serrano, none of whom were selected for the match, and Djaló went unused.

Source: as.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”