Toquero calls Athletic v Alavés derby special and an example to follow | OneFootball

The 60 kilometres between Bilbao and Vitoria feel compressed into barely 500 metres on Pozas, where red and white meets blue and white. The derby build-up has been lauded across football, and Gaizka Toquero sees this meeting as something different.

According to El Correo, the former forward for both clubs, speaking with San Mamés in view, revelled in the street scene and said the fixture is a model others could emulate. He highlighted the sense of togetherness on the bar-lined terraces.

He noted that Athletic arrive the fresher side after their match against Levante was postponed because of severe weather. Alavés, by contrast, come off two defeats following a start of 10 points from 12, the best in their history.

Alavés won at San Mamés last season for the first time in 25 years and now aim to keep that crown. Toquero praised Quique for forging a rugged, combative team that is very hard to beat.

He expects a fiercely contested game in which moments of quality will decide it. His scoreline is 2-2, his emblematic number.

Source: El Correo

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