Game #4487
Aston Villa
Tuesday, 21 October 1997
Drew
2nd Round
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟨
UEFA Cup 2nd Round
Attendance: 39,000
Athletic Bilbao
San Mamés Stadium
Villa secure a creditable goalless draw in the UEFA Cup second round at San Mamés ahead of the Villa Park leg.
Athletic Bilbao
0-0
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | None
KEY MAN
Grumpy Simon Grayson almost stole a goal in Spain
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
Tuesday, 21 October 1997
🕒 | HT Athletic Bilbao 0-0 Aston Villa
🔁 | 46’ Sub off, Ian Taylor, Sub on, Simon Grayson
🕒 | FT Athletic Bilbao 0-0 Aston Villa
ON THIS DAY
Villa secure a goalless draw in the away leg knowing a single goal victory at Villa Park will put them through
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1995-96
Athletic Bilbao
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
La Liga Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆
Copa del Rey Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1983-84
FIXTURE HISTORY
Athletic Bilbao
Previous 5 vs. Bilbao: 🟩 🟨
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1997-98 |
Matchday | #15 |
Manager Game | #141 |
Tuesday, 21 October 1997
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Brian Little | 🏴 | Peterlee, 1994-1998
Referee: Hartmut Strampe | 🇩🇪 | Handorf, 1993-2001
Kick off: 8.30pm
HT Score: 🟨 0-0
FT Score: 🟨 0-0
FT Result: 🟨 Drew
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟨
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Hartmut Strampe | 🇩🇪 | Handorf, 1993-2001
Previous 5: None
Last Match: None
Cards: 🟨 🟨
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Saša Ćurčić, Simon Grayson, Ugo Ehiogu and Gary Charles drop to the subs bench, with Fernando Nélson, Stan Collymore, Alan Wright and Mark Draper recalled
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 26.31 |
Oldest Player
M Ian Taylor | 🏴 | 29.40 |
Youngest Player
CB Riccardo Scimeca | 🏴 | 22.37 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Brian Little | 🏴 |
Luis Fernández | 🇪🇸 |
Aston Villa
GK Mark Bosnich | 🇦🇺 |
RB Fernando Nélson | 🇵🇹 |
LB Alan Wright | 🏴 |
LB Steve Staunton | 🇮🇪 |
CB Riccardo Scimeca | 🏴 |
CB Gareth Southgate | 🏴 |
M Mark Draper | 🏴 |
M Ian Taylor | 🏴 | 🔁 |
CF Dwight Yorke | 🇹🇹 |
CF Savo Milošević | 🇷🇸 |
CF Stan Collymore | 🏴 |
Athletic Bilbao
GK Imanol Etxeberria | 🇪🇸 |
RB Iñigo Larrainzar | 🇪🇸 |
CB Roberto Ríos | 🇪🇸 |
CB Rafael Alkorta | 🇪🇸 |
LB Mikel Lasa | 🇪🇸 | 🔁 |
M Carlos García | 🇪🇸 |
M Josu Urrutia | 🇪🇸 |
M Javi González | 🇪🇸 | 🔁 |
M Bittor Alkiza | 🇪🇸 |
W Joseba Etxeberria | 🇪🇸 |
CF Cuco Ziganda | 🇪🇸 |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | RB Simon Grayson | 🏴 | for M Ian Taylor | 🏴 | 46’ |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | LB Mikel Lasa | 🇪🇸 | (LB Aitor Larrazábal | 🇪🇸 |)
🔁 | M Javi González | 🇪🇸 | (F Mario Bermejo | 🇪🇸 |)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Michael Oakes | 🏴 |
RB Gary Charles | 🏴 |
CB Ugo Ehiogu | 🏴 |
M Saša Ćurčić | 🇷🇸 |
CF Julian Joachim | 🏴 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Juanjo Valencia | 🇪🇸 |
RB Mari Lacruz | 🇪🇸 |
CB Patxi Ferreira | 🇪🇸 |
M Jon Andoni Goikoetxea | 🇪🇸 |
M Txomin Nagore | 🇪🇸 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 6/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/17
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🇪🇸: 11/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🇪🇸 : 18/18
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Not recorded
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Abbreviations:
GK : Goalkeeper
LB, RB, FB : Left Back, Right Back, Full Back
CB, D : Centre Back, Defender
M, W : Midfielder. Winger
F, CF : Forward, Centre Forward
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
DEBUT APPEARANCES
FINAL APPEARANCES
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE
PROGRAMME



MATCHDAY QUOTES
"But in the 38th minute Yorke missed a chance he may rue for some time. From a Collymore pass with a one-on-one chance, he planted the ball wide."
*The Irish Independent*
Wednesday, 22 October 1997
A MAGNIFICENTLY disciplined performance by Aston Villa in northern Spain last night offered English football its last realistic hope of success in the UEFA Cup. They go into the return in Birmingham in a fortnight confident of reaching the third round.
Little took a gamble by fielding three strikers. Savo Milosevic, whose extra-time goal against Bordeaux took Villa into the second round, kept his place alongside Stan Collymore, returning from a domestic suspension, while Dwight Yorke sat just behind.
It was Villa who appeared more likely to score in the opening exchanges and when Milosevic met Alan Wright's cross, he should have done better than offer a less than venomous strike which goalkeeper Imanol Etxeberria had little problem in saving.
Soon afterwards, from the beat Bilbao to draw game's first corner, Mark Draper's kick was planted only narrowly over the target by the Villa captain, Gareth Southgate.
Bilbao, who have scored only six goals in the Primera Liga but who saw off Sampdoria in the previous round, rallied briefly when Javi Gonzalez's shot was headed away by Wright.
Wright offered his strikers another good opportunity when his 26th-minute cross was heading for Draper and Collymore, but a timely interception by Carlos Garcia ended the danger.
But in the 38th minute Yorke missed a chance he may rue for some time. From a Collymore pass with a one-on-one chance, he planted the ball wide. Villa almost stole a goal when Grayson had a shot cleared off the line by Roberto Rios, then Draper and Milosevic went close.