Basque derby sharpshooters: Guruzeta and Mikel Oyarzabal in blistering form | OneFootball

The Basque derby centres on the in-form number nines, Guruzeta for Athletic and Mikel Oyarzabal for Real Sociedad. Nico Williams and Guedes will catch the eye too, as reported by as.com.

At present the duel is compelling because both are thriving. Guruzeta, a Donostia-born Lion and son of Xabi, a former Real player, has 11 goals across three competitions after a brace against Levante at San Mamés, seven of them in 2026.

He was acclaimed at San Mamés on Sunday and says it is about taking chances, adding he played the same at the end of 2025 and is happy to help the team. He stresses the head is crucial, making the right decisions makes goals come easier, and he hopes to score more. He accepts strikers are judged on goals and that is normal.

Across six seasons he has 164 appearances and 42 goals for Athletic, having come through Antiguoko. These semi-finals fire him up, he expects a fine atmosphere and wants to take a strong result to Anoeta, noting wins have been hard to come by this year. He has scored six in his last seven outings.

His goal against Sporting de Portugal made him Athletic’s joint top scorer in the Champions League with five, level with Artetxe from the 1956-57 vintage. Artetxe did it in five games, Guruzeta has needed seven.

Oyarzabal is also hot, with five goals in his past five games. He has 10 this year, nine in Liga and one in the Cup against Alavés, reaching 125 for La Real, where the goals are shared around.

He has recorded double figures in eight of his 10 complete seasons, missing out only in 2016-17 and after his cruciate injury in 2022-23. Last season was his best with 28. He is closing on Cholín on 127 and López Ufarte on 129, with Satrústegui on 162 still ahead, and he has equalled Kovacevic for most goals at Anoeta with 68.

Coach Matarazzo describes him as a dressing-room leader, intelligent and able to connect with all team-mates, and says he enjoys working with him.

Source: as.com