Athletic Bilbao vs Alaves

Athletic Bilbao and Alaves played out a goalless draw at San Mames on Saturday, 19 September 2026, with neither side able to find a breakthrough in a tight, cagey Basque derby. The first half ended 0-0 and little changed after the break, as both defences held firm and chances were hard to come by. It was the kind of game where effort was never in question, but the final ball just wouldn't stick. A point each keeps both clubs ticking over rather than pushing them forward in any meaningful way. For the hosts, there will be mild frustration at failing to turn home advantage into three points, while Alaves will likely take the clean sheet as a decent return from a difficult away fixture. Neither result will shift much in the bigger picture, but 0-0 draws like this one tend to matter more for what they don't cost a team than what they gain.

It finished 0-0 between Athletic Bilbao and Alaves at San Mames, a scoreline that summed up a game short on clear separation between the two sides. Neither team could really take control of the ball for long, with Athletic Bilbao holding 69% possession, close enough to an even split to explain why the game never settled into one side's favour. There were spells of pressure from both teams, but not enough to turn a share of the points into all three. Days like this are part of a long season, and how each side responds in their next fixture will say plenty about their form heading forward. Here is a closer look at how the two teams compared statistically.