Aritz Aduriz closes on century as Athletic Bilbao ease to victory

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

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Aritz Aduriz made it 99 goals for Athletic Bilbao in a comfortable 3-0 Primera Division victory over Sporting Gijon.

Athletic had won only twice in the league all season but, with summer signing Raul Garcia influential, they brushed aside poor Sporting visitors to climb five places in the table to 12th.

Former Athletic manager Howard Kendall, who died earlier this month, was remembered by the San Mames crowd before kick-off.

They started strongly and Sporting could only hold out until the 29th minute, when Garcia's delightful ball freed Inaki Williams down the right.

Williams squared superbly into the middle for Markel Susaeta to slide home his third goal of the season.

It was not the last time Sporting were troubled by Williams' surging runs and Real Madrid loanee Omar Mascarall stopped him illegally four minutes before half-time.

Aduriz stepped up to take the penalty and, although goalkeeper Alberto Garcia guessed correctly to his left, the ball fell kindly for the Athletic striker to lash the rebound home.

That was Aduriz's 13th goal of the season and his 14th almost arrived as he struck the woodwork straight after the restart, with Benat Etxebarria's follow-up shot cleared off the line by Alberto Lora.

But Aduriz did find the net again after 67 minutes when Benat drove through the Sporting midfield and set up a firm left-foot finish which deflected in off defender Bernardo Espinosa.

Aduriz almost got his landmark 100th Athletic goal in his two spells at the club in the final minute but Garcia foiled him with an excellent stop.