Almeria 0-0 Athletic Bilbao: 10-man Almeria hold on for goalless draw against Athletic but winless run continues

Almeria, with only 10 players, managed to establish a new record in LaLiga history by enduring the longest streak without a win, even though they held Athletic Club to a goalless draw. Despite both teams having ample opportunities, neither could successfully score a goal, resulting in Los Rojiblancos extending their winless streak to 27 consecutive top-flight matches, dating back to May of the previous year.

The Lions sought to establish their dominance in the game right from the start, with Mikel Vesga's deflected shot being saved and Unai Gomez coming close as well.

However, the home team also had their fair share of opportunities. Dion Lopy fired a low drive straight at Unai Simon, while Marc Pubill should have done better with his outside-of-the-boot effort that missed the target. It was not surprising that Gaizka Garitano's side struggled to score, considering they had failed to find the back of the net in their previous four home games.

Largie Ramazani and Anthony Lozano also missed further chances, with the latter heading straight at the goalkeeper. However, the visitors came close to breaking the deadlock, only to be denied by a brilliant save from Luis Maximiano, who dived full stretch to his right to palm away a powerful header from Aitor Paredes.

The game became less open after the break, indicating that Almeria were heading towards their fourth goalless draw in five matches at the Power Horse Stadium. Their task became even more difficult when Largie Ramazani was sent off for a foul on Oscar de Marcos, receiving his second yellow card in the process.

Despite this, chances were initially scarce. Iker Muniain had the best opportunity for Ernesto Valverde's side, but it was an easy save for the goalkeeper. Raul Garcia then hit the post with a header from Ander Herrera's cross, while Almeria came agonizingly close to stealing the victory when Marezi's shot hit the crossbar during a rapid counterattack.

As a result, Athletic Club failed to move into the top four, although they have now gone nearly seven hours without conceding a goal. On the other hand, the hosts remain at the bottom of the table, 13 points away from safety. After such a long period without a win, it will take something extraordinary for them to stay among the top teams until the end of the season.