Athletic Bilbao needed a late lifeline, and Alex Berenguer delivered one. The forward struck in the 82nd minute to cancel out Franco Buonanotte’s second-half penalty and salvage a 1-1 draw against Elche at the Estadio San Mamés on September 12, 2026.
For Athletic, a team sitting in 10th place with six points heading into matchweek 5, the result feels like two points dropped. For Elche, clinging to 19th place with just a single point from five matches, a draw at one of Spain’s most intimidating grounds is something closer to a minor triumph.
A tale of two halves at San Mamés
The first half at San Mamés was a largely uneventful affair, with Athletic controlling possession but failing to convert their territorial advantage into anything meaningful. A crowd of roughly 47,287 watched the home side probe without penetrating Elche’s low defensive block, and the teams went into the break at 0-0.
The second half started with a jolt. Around the 50th minute, Elche were awarded a penalty, and Buonanotte stepped up to convert it coolly.
