A sea of red and white floods the space below the colossus San Mamés stadium. Take a closer look and you’ll spot glimpses of royal blue. The crowd is quiet as a man speaks in rhythmic tones. This is a bertsolaritza competition – the delivery of improvised Basque poetry. Fans of both teams watch and applaud politely as each poet finishes. It’s another of the Basque Country’s unique traditions, so too is the good-natured atmosphere of its biggest derby. Here, rival fans harmoniously sit together. Friends, families, couples, can all enjoy the game together whilst wearing contrasting football shirts. Around 100km may separate the two cities of Bilbao and San Sebastián, but the shared Basque identity runs strong. With the banning of the Basque Ikurriña flag under Franco, the two sides made a stance in 1976 following the dictator’s death, the club captains took to the field together, carrying with them a smuggled Ikurriña flag. It was an illustration that even during the darkest years of the repression, the region had kept its identity. This game isn’t just another LaLiga derby, it’s an opportunity show the establishment that tried to iron out its culture that is more alive than ever. Basque teams account for a quarter of all sides in the top-flight (including Osasuna, who are often considered as part of the region despite being in Navarra). The Basque Country might account for just 1.4% of Spain’s land area and has only 4.9% of the nation’s population, but there is a rich history of success here in both society and sport.

Within this shared spirit though is always small quarrels, and this time it was Iñaki Williams who stoked the fire. The player exclaimed pre-match that he isn’t envious of Sociedad’s spending during the summer because Athletic only play with locals, something he believes Sociedad should be envious of. Athletic Club’s Cantera policy is indeed impressive, and it’s a tremendous achievement to be consistent with such a tight pool of playing talent, but Sociedad’s argument is that they have more home-grown players with Athletic picking much of their talent from the region’s other teams. Both teams are special to Spanish football and this game was viewed by both managers as the biggest of the season until they meet again at the Anoeta in February.

There was soon a stark contrast to the poets outside as the atmosphere inside the stadium began to increase, before falling silent to remember Luis Enrique’s daughter Xana who lost her battle with cancer this week. The game was soon underway, and Athletic Club got off to an aggressive start. The side’s tempo and intensity caught Sociedad by surprise, enabling them to continue with their usual wing play. Sociedad struggled to close-down the opposition and relied on mistakes to kickstart their offensive strategy of counter-attacking football. After 11 minutes, the San Mamés erupted into celebration as Iñaki Williams scored a simple tap-in past Moyá. De Marcos played a one-two with Muniain from a throw in – placing the full-back behind the lines – as Sociedad’s defenders stood sleeping. A low-driven pass across goal was perfectly directed for Williams to put his side in front.

It may be viewed as an amicable derby, but Zaldua was sure to pull no punches. He received a yellow card for a strong follow-through challenge on Córdoba, and the player was lucky to still be on the pitch after giving Martínez a kick, as well as a coming together with Raul García soon after. He would be in the spotlight again on the 20-minute mark when he was brought down by Córdoba whilst running along the byline – a lengthy VAR check determined he was outside the area, and Sociedad wasted the resulting free-kick. Athletic Club appeared motivated from the close call and began passing their way gradually up-field. A pin-point cross field ball to Córdoba, allowed the player to cut-in – something Athletic were being allowed to do almost freely – and find García, who looked up and struck a floating, spinning effort into the far top corner of the net. Goalkeeper Moyá got a hand to the ball but it wasn’t enough.

Things just didn’t go to plan for Real Sociedad. Club captain Illarramendi was forced to limp off after he landed awkwardly on his ankle during an aerial duel. Tests the following morning revealed he had suffered a distal fibula fracture – surgery will take place on Monday. The club will be hoping for a speedy recovery considering the side’s defensive vulnerabilities. Sociedad’s misfortune was epitomised when a close-range Isak header looked to have pulled a goal back, but another VAR review decided the player was offside after a chaotic scramble in the box. This was a mental blow for the team that had slowly began to fight their way back into the game, but following the decision, the players looked out of ideas and troubled by a lack of direction. Williams was excellent, but it was work off the ball where he received his plaudits. For the 86 minutes he was on the field he threatened the back-line of Sociedad, causing a countless number of mistakes and panicked clearances. He may sometimes struggle as a number nine, but he scares defenders with his large build and electric pace. His intensity disrupted Sociedad’s ability to play out of the back, leading them to use long balls to search for space up-field.

In the end, it was remarkably easy for Athletic to defeat their rivals. Real Sociedad looked nervous and desperate at the back – even more so after losing Illarramendi. Fortunately, Sociedad are set to sign Nacho Monreal from Arsenal which should help to add experience in the left full-back position – an area Athletic had highlighted for its weakness. The home-side were given free reign and acres of space to decide to either cut-in or sprint to the byline, this ultimately led to both goals. In general, there was a shortage of urgency from Real Sociedad, often leaving them trapped and under pressure, looking for an open channel or a non-existent man in space. It was a stark contrast to the home side who didn’t stop looking for passing opportunities and were patient in and around the box. When manager Garitano took over at Athletic Club in December 2018, the team were in 18th. After pushing their rivals aside, the team now find themselves top of the league and are playing with confidence and authority. They dictate the pace of their games, forcing their opposition to adapt and most importantly, they play to their strengths – a necessity when the team has such a small talent pool.

The season is still in its early days, but Athletic’s performance was poetry, while Sociedad appear to be still getting to grips with their new system and new faces. The game may well prophesise the fortunes of the two clubs between now and the next encounter in February. Based on the events of this game, expect to see a disparity between the league positions of both sides after Christmas.