Athletic Bilbao moved up to joint fifth in the Spanish football league with a 3-1 comeback win Monday at bottom team Almeria.Argentine striker Pablo Piatti gave Almeria the lead after only six minutes with a low shot after a fast break engineered by Albert Crusat.
But Bilbao were in the driving seat from then on, with strikers Fernando Llorente, Gaizka Toquero and Iker Muniain causing all kinds of problems for the shaky Almeria defence.
Teenager Muniain made it 1-1 in the 29th minute after Almeria keeper Diego Alves had failed to hold a header from Carlos Gurpegui, following a clever corner.
In the 52nd minute, Llorente set up Toquero to make it 2-1 with a left-foot drive, which Alves should have saved. The Brazilian keeper was also slow on Bilbao's third goal, too, a 35-metre drive from Pablo Orbaiz that took him by surprise.
The latest defeat leaves poor Almeria rooted to the bottom with just 26 points from 30 games, three points less than Malaga and Hercules.
The southern club might be tempted, in an act of desperation, to sack coach Jose Luis Oltra, who has only been in the job for five months.
Bilbao, in contrast, are now joint fifth with Sevilla on 45 points. They are nine points behind fourth-placed Villarreal but two ahead of Espanyol, who have slipped down to seventh in recent weeks.
Bilbao are keen to return to the Europa League after a season without European football.
But Bilbao were in the driving seat from then on, with strikers Fernando Llorente, Gaizka Toquero and Iker Muniain causing all kinds of problems for the shaky Almeria defence.
Teenager Muniain made it 1-1 in the 29th minute after Almeria keeper Diego Alves had failed to hold a header from Carlos Gurpegui, following a clever corner.
In the 52nd minute, Llorente set up Toquero to make it 2-1 with a left-foot drive, which Alves should have saved. The Brazilian keeper was also slow on Bilbao's third goal, too, a 35-metre drive from Pablo Orbaiz that took him by surprise.
The latest defeat leaves poor Almeria rooted to the bottom with just 26 points from 30 games, three points less than Malaga and Hercules.
The southern club might be tempted, in an act of desperation, to sack coach Jose Luis Oltra, who has only been in the job for five months.
Bilbao, in contrast, are now joint fifth with Sevilla on 45 points. They are nine points behind fourth-placed Villarreal but two ahead of Espanyol, who have slipped down to seventh in recent weeks.
Bilbao are keen to return to the Europa League after a season without European football.
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