Rafael Leão returns to the starting line-up against Real Madrid

The Portuguese team, who was once again a starter and made seven interventions, was ahead on the scoreboard, but Berenguer saved a point for the Basques

At the start of this 12th round of La Liga , Athletic Bilbao and Betis were tied on points and remained so at the end of the match, after a 1-1 draw.

Both goals only came in the second half, with the visitors opening the scoring on a counter-attack, with Fornals finishing off a low, delayed cross from Diao in the 52nd minute.

Berenguer , who had just come on to replace Álvaro Djaló (ex- SC Braga ), tied the match with his first touch of the ball, an accurate header, after a cross from De Marcos , in the 68th minute.

Rui Silva , who was once again a starter for the Spanish league, made seven saves during the 90 minutes, but looked a bit out of sorts in this one, as he hesitated to leave the goal. William Carvalho remains injured and was therefore left out of the squad, while Vítor Roque , a former Sporting target , was in the starting eleven but failed to make a save.

“It was a very difficult match. They are very strong, we knew it and we were expecting it. It was very difficult for us, we couldn’t keep the ball, we weren’t vertical and they pressed us a lot, they had a lot of chances, but in the end we got a point. We have to value it, it’s very difficult to play here and now we have to rest”, he began by saying, in a quick interview after the end of the match, before talking about Fornals’ goal, dedicated to the people affected by storm DANA.

“It’s a great goal, everything we’re going through is very difficult, very complicated times and a lot of encouragement for all the people of Valencia and Spain, who can come out of all this in the best possible way”, he said, also talking about his positive performance in this match. “I’m happy to do my job, to help the team, almost everything went well, almost because we didn’t get the win”, he concluded.