Late Strike Lifts Eibar Women Past Tenerife, Breathing Life Into Their Survival Fight

ADEJE, Spain — On an afternoon when discipline and patience proved decisive, Eibar Women seized a desperately needed lifeline in their Primera División Femenina campaign, snatching a dramatic 1-0 victory over Granadilla Tenerife at the Football Field Adeje. With just three minutes to spare, an 87th-minute goal finally broke the deadlock, silencing the home crowd and reshaping the bottom of the table—at least for now.

For much of Sunday, the contest unfolded as a war of attrition rather than a festival of flair. Mid-table Granadilla Tenerife, riding a five-match unbeaten run, had entered the match with momentum and swagger, boasting recent wins over Real Sociedad, Alhama, and Sevilla; their defense had not been breached in over 200 minutes of league play. Eibar, meanwhile, arrived on the back of a sobering 4-0 loss to Barcelona, their only win in six prior, languishing in 14th and already glancing anxiously at the relegation trapdoor.

Yet from the opening whistle, it was clear neither side would find the rhythm that defined their contrasting Septembers. Tenerife, typically expansive on home turf, encountered a disciplined, compact Eibar determined to keep shape above all else. While the home side enjoyed long spells of sterile possession, their efforts fizzled out in the final third. S. Ouzraoui Diki, the spark in last week’s victory at Real Sociedad, found herself smothered by Eibar’s midfield screen, forced into wide positions and denied the time needed to orchestrate.

As the match ground through a tense, occasionally fractious first half, chances remained at a premium. Both teams threatened only sporadically, with Eibar’s approach—built on containment and swift counters—nullifying Tenerife’s forward line. It was a contest where mistakes, not magic, seemed destined to settle the outcome.

The second half brought urgency, but little improvement in execution. Tenerife pressed forward, desperate to translate territorial dominance into a meaningful threat, but the final ball too often deserted them. Natalia Ramos and A. Zaremba strove mightily to create space, but Eibar’s back line, marshalling the penalty area with increasing confidence, rarely wavered.

Then, as the clock ticked toward frustration for both benches, Eibar’s persistence paid off. Against the run of play, a rare foray deep into Tenerife’s half led to chaos in the box; with defenders scrambling to clear a looping cross, the ball fell kindly to Eibar’s unnamed hero, whose quick reflex sent a low, clinical shot past the outstretched fingertips of the Tenerife keeper. The visitors erupted. After 87 minutes of dogged resistance, Eibar had carved out the one moment of clarity that mattered.

Tenerife, suddenly staring at the end of their unbeaten stretch, threw numbers forward in the closing moments. Yet it was desperation, not design, and Eibar’s defense—so often their undoing this season—held firm through five minutes of stoppage time. No late equalizer would come; the Basque side’s traveling supporters greeted the final whistle with joyous disbelief.

In the context of the league, the result could hardly be more significant for Eibar. Their second win of the season lifts them to four points after six matches—still mired near the foot of the table, but now equal on points with several relegation rivals. For a squad battered by early defeats and a bruising schedule, the manner of this victory—away from home, against a high-flying side—offers real hope that survival is not beyond reach.

Tenerife, meanwhile, will rue missed opportunities. While their unbeaten run is commendable, the inability to fashion clear chances in front of a supportive home crowd will sting, especially after a September that saw them dispatch Alhama and Sevilla with ease. The defeat keeps them on the periphery of the league’s top tier, and with sterner tests ahead, head coach Francis Díaz must quickly recalibrate his attack.

Historically, head-to-head encounters between these sides have tilted in Tenerife’s favor, and Eibar’s previous visits to Adeje rarely produced headlines. Today, however, the script was rewritten: dogged defending, opportunistic finishing, and a late winner to lift a season that had threatened to unravel.

Looking ahead, Eibar will take renewed belief into their next fixtures, knowing this template—defensive grit and counterattacking precision—has delivered them from the brink. For Tenerife, the challenge is maintaining composure and rediscovering the firepower that marked their early-season surge. One afternoon’s setback need not define their campaign, but it offers a sharp reminder that in Spain’s top flight, complacency is a luxury no club can afford.