Athletic Bilbao and Shakhtar Donetsk played out a goalless draw this evening in their opening Champions League group game.
Chances were few and far between at San Mames with the best opening of the first half falling to Mikel Rico on seven minutes, but he failed to hit the target when picked out inside the box.
It was a similar story in the second 45, and neither side could find a way through to ensure that the points were shared.
Below, Sports Mole rates how each player performed during the 90 minutes.
© Getty ImagesATHLETIC BILBAO
Goal
Gorka Iraizoz: By no means Iraizoz's busiest evening, but he still needed to be alert to handle the ball on a few occasions. (8/10)
Defence
Oscar de Marcos: Hard to analyse the performance of De Marcos in the sense that he got forward brilliantly, yet constantly failed to pick out a final ball. That said, he did help his side keep a clean sheet. (8/10)
Carlos Gurpegui: A shutout in the Champions League is not to be sniffed at. It may have been a quiet evening on the whole, but Gurpegui did all that was asked of him. (7/10)
Aymeric Laporte: Produced one key block of note which looked to have come off his shoulder, highlighting his ability to cut out opposition chances when they arise. (7/10)
Mikel Balenziaga: Looked to link up with his teammates further up the field, but again the inability to pick out a cross let him down. (7/10)
Midfield
Ibai Gomez: Returned to the starting lineup after missing out against Barcelona. Hit the side-netting from a free kick and was one of his side's livelier players. (8/10)
Mikel Rico: Had the first half's best opening which he failed to convert. His driving runs put Shakhtar under real pressure at times. (8/10)
Ander Iturraspe: Good understanding with his teammates, often dropping deep to fill in when others pushed forward. (7/10)
Iker Muniain: Offers a brilliant option from out wide but perhaps should have done better this evening, especially when breaking late on only to see Diego Costa disposess him. (7/10)
Attack
Benat: Had little impact on the game, but in fairness that was more down to a lack of service than anything else. (6/10)
Aritz Aduriz: Had a shout for a penalty turned down, but did little else before being replaced 15 minutes from time. (6/10)
Substitutes
Marek Susaeta: Replaced Benat but had as minimal an impact on proceedings as his teammate and was eventually booked. (6/10)
Guillermo: Struggled to make a difference during his 13 minutes on the field. (5/10)
Ager Aketxe: Like his fellow substitutes, he could not affect the game's outcome with an incredibly slow final 20 minutes not helping matters. (5/10)
© Getty ImagesSHAKHTAR DONETSK
Goal
Andriy Pyatov: Handled a couple of crosses well, but was not tested nearly as much as he should have been across the 90 minutes. (7/10)
Defence
Darijo Srna: The experienced full-back failed to cut out a string of crosses, but it mattered little as they ultimately came to nothing. (7/10)
Oleksandr Kucher: It is now an incredible 608 minutes without a goal being conceded for Donetsk, so Kucher must be doing something right. (8/10)
Yaroslav Rakitskiy: Solid performance and refused to let Bilbao's dynamic forwards get the better of him at San Mames. (8/10)
Marcio Azevedo: Loves getting forward, and was seemingly playing as a winger at times. Did not create any openings, but not through a lack of effort. (8/10)
Midfield
Douglas Costa: Probably just about the best player on the field due to his work ethic and commitment. Tracked back well and tested Iraizoz in the second half from distance. (8/10)
Fernando: Seemed to go under the radar somewhat, but this was hardly a game which boasted Brazilian flair from the middle of the field. (7/10)
Taras Stepanenko: Decent performance from Sepanenko, who got the game's first real shot away on goal in the first half, before playing some testing balls into the box. (8/10)
Taison: Lasting memory of the midfielder is the yellow card he received for simulation in the first half. (6/10)
Attack
Alex Teixeira: Probably should have done better when he worked space inside the opposition box on the hour, but his strike was blocked on its way through to goal. (7/10)
Luiz Adriano: Did well to chase down Shakhtar's defenders whenever they were on the ball, but had no goals to show for his tireless effort. (7/10)
Substitutes
Frederico Fred: Minimal impact in his 20 minutes or so on the field after replacing Fernando. (6/10)
Bonfirm Marlos: Managed to knock down one cross into the box at the back post, but that is the only thing of note that he achieved. (7/10)
Olexandr Gladkiy: Surprisingly only given a couple of minutes to make an impact. Shakhtar's top league goalscorer will surely have a bigger part to player in Europe this season. (5/10)
Daniel Lewis
