Derio vs Athletic Club

A goalless first half belied Athletic's dominance. Elijah Gift, handed a debut, rattled the crossbar with a right-footed effort and forced Derio goalkeeper Velarde into a save from a header. Aitor Paredes also struck the woodwork from a set-piece, while Yuri Berchiche tested the home goalkeeper from distance.

The deadlock broke six minutes after the restart. Djaló, introduced at the interval, laid on the first goal for Robert Navarro, who finished calmly to open the scoring in the 51st minute. Four minutes later, Djaló turned provider again — this time for Oihan Sancet, who made it 0-2 from close range in the 55th minute.

Navarro completed his double in the 80th minute. Djaló won back possession and fed Navarro, who dribbled past the last defender and slotted home with a low right-footed shot. Sancet had a third goal disallowed for offside in the 86th minute.

The half-time introduction of Álvaro Djaló changed the match. Athletic had controlled possession in the first period without finding a finishing touch — hitting the woodwork twice. Djaló's direct running and creativity unlocked Derio's compact block, and within 10 minutes of the restart the tie was effectively settled. Terzić later confirmed he assessed a 3-4-3 build-up shape in the first half before switching personnel and approach after the break.

Robert Navarro (Player of the Match) — Two goals from three shots, his first a composed finish from Djaló's pass, his second a solo effort showcasing his dribbling and composure. The 24-year-old forward made a strong early case for a starting role in Terzić's system.

Álvaro Djaló — Registered a hat-trick of assists inside 30 second-half minutes. His pace and willingness to run in behind stretched Derio's defence, creating the space for both Navarro and Sancet to finish.

Oihan Sancet — Scored Athletic's second and was a constant threat in the central channel. Had a second goal ruled out for offside.

Beñat Prados — Made his return from a serious knee injury, coming on at half-time in midfield. A significant milestone for the 24-year-old after a long lay-off.

Athletic's three goals came from a second-half xG surge that reflects their dominance after the break rather than any first-half superiority. The woodwork struck twice in the opening 45 minutes (Gift, Paredes) tells the story of a half where Athletic controlled territory but lacked precision. The substitution of all 10 outfield players at the break — standard pre-season practice — reset the dynamic, and the two-goal burst inside four minutes (51', 55') was the decisive sequence. The 0-0 half-time scoreline understated Athletic's territorial edge; the 3-0 final scoreline was a fair reflection of the quality gap.

Terzić's first match in charge ends with a clean sheet and a comfortable win — the ideal start to a pre-season that will build towards Athletic Club's 2026/27 La Liga campaign. The only concern is Maroan Sannadi, who left the pitch with ice on his left knee after attempting an acrobatic shot in the 61st minute. Terzić said post-match: "It's very fresh, so we don't know yet... this is not the right occasion, the right circumstances to take any risk."

Derio's Ugaitz Quevedo also departed injured, likely a precaution.

Next up for Athletic Club: Saturday 18 July 2026 at Sarriena against Leioa — the second pre-season friendly.

Next up for Derio: TBC.

The German coach used the match to trial a fluid build-up structure — defending in a 4-4-2 but switching to a three-man backline in possession. "We tried to transform what we did on the training pitch to the game today," Terzić said in his post-match press conference. "The open end — it doesn't matter what division they're playing — you need to read it. For us as coaches, it's always important that we don't tell the players every single pass."

A textbook pre-season opener: Athletic dominated a lower-division opponent, experimented with shape, gave minutes to returning players (Prados, Gift) and emerging talent, and secured a clean-sheet win. The Djaló-Navarro connection was the standout takeaway, while Sannadi's injury is the one note of caution. Terzić's system has early buy-in from the squad.