Athletic 11-0 Leioa: Terzic’s side routs Tercera opponents in dominant pre-season display
Athletic 11-0 Leioa in a pre-season friendly as Edin Terzic’s team produced a clinical and one-sided performance that sharpened their attack ahead of the campaign. The rout, highlighted by a rapid hat-trick from Guruzeta and multiple double scorers, underlined the gulf in class between the squads. The scoreline also reflected a lively crowd and a clean sheet that gave Terzic plenty to assess before competitive fixtures begin.
Early onslaught sets the tone
Athletic opened the scoring inside six minutes when Robert Navarro capped a swift move to break the deadlock and set the tone for the night. The home side barely regrouped before Paul Djaló converted from a rebound four minutes later, and the visitors were already on the front foot. That early momentum forced SD Leioa into a defensive posture, with Athletic exploiting space down the flanks and creating a steady stream of chances.
Attacking rhythm intensified midway through the first half as Guruzeta began to impose himself on the game, and the scoreboard reflected Athletic’s superior tempo. By the 30th minute the visitors had established a large cushion through clinical finishing and high-tempo interplay. The first half closed with Athletic leading decisively and Leioa searching for answers amid a relentless onslaught.
Guruzeta’s quickfire treble
Guruzeta emerged as the standout figure of the opening period, claiming a three-goal haul that underscored his sharpness in the box. His first arrived after a smart charge down the left channel and a composed finish, while the next two were markers of instinct and opportunism as he reacted quickest to loose balls in the penalty area. The hat-trick unfolded across a 24-minute span and provided Athletic with both a scoreboard advantage and clear evidence of individual form.
Beyond the personal milestone, Guruzeta’s movement created opportunities for team-mates by drawing defenders and opening channels for overlapping runs. His finishing was complemented by intelligent off-the-ball work, which repeatedly unsettled Leioa’s backline. The treble also allowed Terzic to test a forward capable of finding space in congested areas, a useful note for squad planning.
Navarro and Djaló double up before halftime
While Guruzeta grabbed the headlines, both Robert Navarro and Paul Djaló delivered polished attacking displays of their own, each finishing twice in the opening 45 minutes. Navarro’s early strike set the pattern and he later doubled his tally with a composed finish from close range. Djaló, working the channels and pressing effectively, punished defensive lapses to add a second on the scoreboard.
Their combined efficiency emphasized Athletic’s ability to convert sustained pressure into goals rather than rely on isolated moments. The pairs’ goals arrived from varied sources—team combinations, rebounds and individual initiative—illustrating the squad’s multi-faceted threat in the final third. By half-time the visitors had amassed seven goals, leaving Leioa stunned and offering Terzic a wealth of attacking options to evaluate.
Second-half rotation and bench contributions
Edin Terzic used the interval to overhaul his starting eleven completely, giving a full run to bench players and academy prospects while maintaining offensive intensity. The second half saw fresh legs continue to find the net, though the tempo dipped slightly as the game shifted into rotation and work-rate management. Alejandro Berenguer added the eighth on the hour mark, converting a close-range finish after a composed build-up on the edge of the box.
Late in the contest, academy product Gift and teammate Hierro extended the tally, with Gift finishing a move set up by fellow youth graduate Selton. Hierro then capped the evening with two late strikes, including a deft lob that sealed the emphatic 11-0 result. The second-half goals offered Terzic a clear view of squad depth and attacking options beyond his first-choice XI.
Tactical control and exploitation of space
Athletic’s approach combined quick transitions, wide overlap and incisive penetration of the penalty area to exploit the gaps left by Leioa’s higher defensive line. The visiting team’s forward trio and supporting midfielders pressed aggressively to force errors, then moved the ball rapidly into central zones to create clear scoring chances. When opportunities arrived, finishing was clinical, reflecting a team focused on precision rather than mere volume.
Defensively, Athletic kept an organized structure that limited clear chances for Leioa and allowed goalkeeper Padilla to remain largely untroubled. The comprehensive clean sheet was as much a product of collective pressing as it was of individual defending, showing that the team’s balance was intact even when personnel rotated. The tactical performance suggested a squad capable of high-intensity sequences while managing the practicalities of a long pre-season.
Lineups, substitutes and match facts
Athletic named Padilla; Areso; Yeray; Monreal; Johaneko; Rego; Gere; Sancet; Djaló; Navarro; and Guruzeta as starters, with Santos, H. Rincón, Paredes, Adama, Jauregizar, Canales, Selton, Berenguer, Gift and Hierro all featuring later in the contest. SD Leioa started with Markel Crespo; Paul Gutiérrez; Aner Gómez; Ekaitz Agirrebengoa; Alex Torres; Iñigo Montero; Markel Arroyo; Diego Ruiz; Asier Bidaurrazaga; Igarki Grande; and Ekain Etxebarria, while a broad group of substitutes was used as the match progressed.
Goal timings read as follows: 0-1 Navarro (6’), 0-2 Djaló (10’), 0-3 Guruzeta (16’), 0-4 Guruzeta (18’), 0-5 Djaló (24’), 0-6 Navarro (30’), 0-7 Guruzeta (40’), 0-8 Berenguer (60’), 0-9 Gift (79’), 0-10 Hierro (83’), 0-11 Hierro (89’). The comprehensive nature of the win combined prolific finishing with an organized defensive display to produce the final scoreline.
Pre-season implications and next steps
The Athletic 11-0 Leioa result supplies Edin Terzic with both confidence and a catalogue of encouraging signs as the club ramps up toward competitive fixtures. The dominant attacking display will please supporters and staff alike, while the clean sheet underlines defensive consistency even amid heavy rotation. At the same time, the coaching staff can now study minutes from the second half to assess fitness, cohesion and which fringe players merit further opportunities.
For SD Leioa, the match offered a stern examination of readiness against higher-level opposition, revealing areas for tactical adjustments and conditioning before their own season starts. Athletic will look to translate the sharpness and finishing from this friendly into more balanced performances when the stakes are higher. The result is unlikely to shape league predictions, but it does give Terzic a practical snapshot of where his squad stands.
The Athletic 11-0 Leioa outcome will be weighed alongside training assessments and forthcoming friendlies as the club finalizes its preparations. Overall, the performance signaled attacking depth, finishing efficiency and squad-wide contribution—elements Terzic will want to preserve as the calendar moves toward competitive action.
