Aduriz’s unforgettable Marseille strike and Athletic’s return to the Vélodrome | OneFootball

Athletic return to the Vélodrome on Sunday at 17:30 for a friendly that revives Aritz Aduriz’s 2016 thunderbolt, the strike that sealed a 1-0 Europa League win in Marseille.

On 54 minutes, Iago Herrerín went long, Sabin Merino glanced back and a 35-year-old Aduriz smashed in from the edge. According to El Correo, Iñaki Williams is the only survivor of that XI.

The tie ended 1-1 in Bilbao, then Sevilla ousted Athletic on penalties in a Sánchez-Pizjuán quarter-final, marked by Markel Susaeta’s extra-time lob flying wide and Beñat Etxebarria’s missed spot-kick.

That campaign was Aduriz at full tilt, 36 goals in 55 games. He hit 20 in La Liga, two in the Copa, four in a Supercopa that denied Luis Enrique’s Barcelona a sextuple, and 10 in 14 European matches.

Athletic and Olympique de Marseille have met four times competitively, all in the Europa League. Sunday is the fifth, and a third visit here, after OM’s 3-1 and 1-2 wins in 2017-18 en route to a final later won by Atlético, led by Antoine Griezmann.

The Vélodrome is among Europe’s most intimidating venues, its ultras under tight scrutiny after serious incidents. They include Lyon’s bus being pelted, injuring their coach, and assaults on security staff at San Mamés in 2018.

For this friendly, French government orders bar travelling Athletic fans from wearing or displaying club colours in or around the stadium, and there will be no segregation of supporters. Edin Terzic’s side treat it as a pre-season tune-up.

Source: El Correo

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