Athletic Bilbao claim point against Valencia

Athletic Bilbao and Valencia have played out a 1-1 draw in Wednesday night's La Liga encounter at San Mames.

The hosts were brighter in the opening stages of the match but Mikel San Jose failed to trouble Neto with a 12th-minute effort from inside the box.

Benat Etxebarria then curled a free kick over the crossbar in the 18th minute and Valencia made the most of their reprieves by taking the lead on 23 minutes.

Ferran Torres played a short, square pass into the path of Geoffrey Kondogbia, who duly rifled into the left-hand side of the goal for the breakthrough.

Athletic were then awarded a penalty on 35 minutes after a Jeison Murillo foul in the area, but Aritz Aduriz's spot kick was parried away by Neto.

Despite their spurned first-half opportunities, Jose Angel Ziganda's charges regrouped and drew level on 49 minutes.

Oscar de Marcos showed good technique to produce a first-time effort from just outside the box that beat Neto and nestled inside the right post.

Simone Zaza came close to firing Valencia ahead again moments after the restart, but the Italian's shot was kept out by Kepa Arrizabalaga.

From then on the better chances fell to the Basques, but Aduriz and Raul Garcia failed to hit the target from good positions as the final whistle blew on a draw.

The result means that Valencia remain fourth in the La Liga table, a point and a place behind Real Madrid, while Athletic remain 12th in the standings.

ATHLETIC BILBAO (4-2-3-1): Arrizabalaga; de Marcos, Nunez, Inigo Martinez, Saborit; Benat, San Jose; Susaeta (Williams 63'), García (Lekue 77'), Cordoba; Aduriz

VALENCIA (4-4-2): Neto; Vezo, Gabriel, Murillo, Gaya; Torres (Guedes 75'), Parejo, Kondogbia, Coquelin; Vietto (Rodrigo 71'), Zaza (Soler 83')