Barakaldo Rises from the Brink: Two Late Goals Stun Athletic Club II in Lasesarre Thriller

Barakaldo, Spain — For 86 minutes at Campo de Lasesarre, the familiar script was being written: a night of frustration for Barakaldo, a club mired in draws and haunted by a lack of finishing edge. But as the northern chill swept through the stands, so too did a surge of belief. Two goals in the final minutes transformed despair into delirium, as Barakaldo staged a remarkable comeback to topple Athletic Club II, 2-1, in the Primera División RFEF Group 1 on Friday night.

The match began with more tension than spectacle. Both sides entered the sixth matchday nursing modest ambitions but aware of the fragile gap that separated mid-table contentment from relegation anxiety. The hosts, locked in 12th with just seven points from their previous six matches, had found themselves locked in a cycle of stalemates — four draws from their last five, including three consecutive 1-1 affairs. Athletic Club II, meanwhile, started in eighth place with nine points, their defensive solidity offset by an attack that too often flickered and then faded.

For much of the contest, form held. Athletic Club II — boasting clean sheets in half their league outings — repelled Barakaldo’s opening probes with the discipline of a side accustomed to tight margins. Their own forays forward, though sporadic, bore fruit as the hour mark neared. In the 60th minute, a spell of patient possession found the Barakaldo defense stretched, and Athletic Club II broke through with a finish that silenced the home crowd and seemed to portend another frustrating night for the hosts.

Barakaldo’s response in the wake of the goal revealed both their desperation and their resilience. Chasing the match, they pressed higher and threw bodies forward, leaving spaces that Athletic Club II nearly exploited on the counter. Yet for all their risk, for 25 minutes, the breakthrough refused to come. The home supporters, so often resigned to late disappointment, steeled themselves for another draw — or worse.

Then, as the clock ticked toward the final whistle, everything changed. In the 87th minute, Barakaldo found their opening: a sweeping move, a telling cross, and a clinical finish to bring the score level and reignite the contest. The equalizer jolted the Lasesarre to life and sowed doubt in Athletic Club II’s ranks. Barely had the visitors regrouped when Barakaldo struck again — this time in the 90th minute, with a thunderous effort that brought the stadium to its feet and sent the home bench spilling onto the pitch in jubilation.

There were no red cards on the night, but tempers briefly flared in the dying moments, a testament to the stakes and the drama that had unfolded. Athletic Club II, so composed for so long, was left reeling by the swiftness of the reversal, while Barakaldo’s players embraced with the relief and joy of a team that, at last, had made its momentum count.

The result carries weight beyond three points. Barakaldo, who had won just once in their previous five, now vault to 10 points and leapfrog their Basque rivals in the table, pushing themselves clear of the immediate relegation picture while halting a run of draws that had threatened to define their season. For Athletic Club II, the defeat stings — not only does it arrest their push toward the playoff places, but it also renews the questions over their ability to close out tight games, a frailty exposed in their recent late collapse at Real Avilés and again tonight.

In the context of their head-to-head history, Barakaldo’s victory continues a promising trend; they also defeated Athletic Club II, 2-1, in a preseason friendly this August, suggesting a psychological edge in this fixture. The latest result means each side now holds two wins and a draw from their last five meetings, but with Barakaldo taking the last two encounters.

Looking ahead, both clubs face pivotal stretches. For Barakaldo, the hope will be that this dramatic turnaround serves as a launchpad, dispelling the pattern of missed opportunities and establishing them as genuine contenders in the middle third of the table. Athletic Club II must regroup quickly; their defense, once their calling card, has now conceded five goals in their last three matches, and the pressure to generate goals of their own is mounting.

On a night when the script seemed set, Barakaldo insisted on writing their own ending. And at Lasesarre, for the first time this autumn, the final act belonged to the home side.