Bilbao’s top-four bid hit by Villarreal draw, Garcia to quit at end of season
BARCELONA: Athletic Bilbao’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League suffered a blow as Dani Parejo’s injury-time penalty secured a 1-1 draw for 10-man Villarreal at San Mames in La Liga on Sunday.
The hosts were playing for the first time since liting their first major trophy in 40 years with victory last weekend over Real Mallorca in the Copa del Rey final on penalties.
It appeared as though fortune from the spot would be on their side again as Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno struck the post with an early penalty.
Visiting midfielder Santi Comesana was dismissed for a second yellow card in the first minute of the second half and Athletic took advantage when Oihan Sancet fired home in the 67th minute.
But a VAR review resulted in another Villarreal spot-kick in the fith minute of added time, and Parejo made no mistake.
The Basque club now sit four points behind fourth-placed at le ti co madrid in the race to reach the Champions League with seven matches remaining.
Meanwhile, veteran Bilbao forward Raul Garcia will retire at the end of the season, the Basque side said on Monday.
The 37-year-old, who was capped twice by Spain, won the Copa del Rey with Athletic earlier in April, his first major trophy with the club ater arriving from Atletico Madrid in 2015.
He neted in the penalty shoot-out to help Los Leones triumph over Mallorca and claim their first Copa del Rey win since 1984. Garcia also lited La Liga with Atletico in 2014, as well as the Spanish Cup in 2013 and the Europa League in 2010.
“Raul Garcia, a true legend, has decided to leave football at the age of 37, a week ater his greatest achievement at Athletic Club, the Copa,” the Bilbao side said in a statement.