Athletic Bilbao absolutely WENT OFF against Leioa, bagging an insane 11-0 win in their second pre-season friendly! But seriously, hold up. The real head-scratcher here is the complete no-show from two central midfielders, Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta and Beñat Prados. Neither of them played a single minute, despite head coach Edin Terzic travelling to Sarriena with a 24-man squad for the matchup. That’s a huge decision, reported by Mundo Deportivo.
Midfielders Missing From The Massacre
Think about it: both Galarreta and Prados had played in the midweek friendly against Derio at Portugalete. So for them to be totally missing from the starting lineup, and not even coming off the bench for subs, against Leioa? That’s HUGE. Forward Hierro, who only just joined the squad to replace Maroan, even got on the scoresheet, netting the final two goals late on to push it to that wild 0-11 scoreline. Coach Edin Terzic clearly wanted to see some action, making a ton of changes at half-time. He swapped out almost the entire starting lineup, except for Nacho Monreal, who actually played the full ninety minutes! Monreal linked up with Yeray for the first half, then switched to partner Paredes after the break. We even saw Gerenabarrena and Johaneko, who missed the first pre-season game at La Florida, finally get their first minutes in that first-half XI. It just shows you how much Terzic is rotating, but those omissions are still baffling.
What This Means For Prados’ Spot
Now, when you leave out two central midfielders on the same afternoon, you’re gonna get people talking. No doubt. For Galarreta, it could just be smart squad management early in pre-season. Makes sense, right? You gotta keep guys fresh. But for Prados? This feels different. Way different. With Oihan Sancet, Mikel Vesga, and Unai Gómez all fighting for spots in that midfield, his playing time in these early friendlies is going to be under a microscope. Athletic supporters are gonna be dissecting every minute looking for clues about the real pecking order. Who’s gonna be a starter? Who’s gonna be on the bench? This is where decisions get made. Even goalie Simón García travelled, but he didn’t even get a look!
So yeah, the next few pre-season games are critical. Are Galarreta and Prados gonna be back in Terzic’s plans? Or does this mean more changes are coming down the line for the squad? Mundo Deportivo isn’t hinting at any transfers yet, but come on, you can’t help but wonder what this means for Prados’ future if he keeps riding the pine. What do you think happens next?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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