Alimata Bélem decides the duel at Ipurua
SD Eibar secured a 1-0 victory against RCD Espanyol at the Ipurua stadium, courtesy of a lone strike from Alimata Bélem, who decided the match with a goal in the closing stages after capitalising on an error by Meritxell Muñoz. The *armero* side kick off their league campaign with a win and a clean sheet.
29 AUG 2026
Equality in the opening minutes at the Ipurua stadium. Ona Baradad ventured forward in the early stages of play with a ball into the box that was cleared by the home defence before the ball went out for a corner. The home side also showed intent with a long ball for Carmen Álvarez, but the away team's goalkeeper collected the ball without any real trouble. Emma Moreno tried her luck with a cross-shot into the area. The blue and white team pushed for a goal in attack, but Alimata Bélem remained solid at the back to cut out the Catalan side's advances. Before the break, Iñaki Goikoetxea's side looked for Sara Martín, but the winger was not fortunate. The last chance of the first half was a dead-ball delivery from Adela Rico that found no teammates and the ball went wide.
After the interval, both teams made changes. Ángeles del Álamo came on for the home side, while Sara Monforte made a triple substitution to try and change the tempo of the match. Natalia Escot, Anita Marcos and Ariadna Doménech bolstered the away team's attack in search of a goal. The second half followed the same pattern as the first. Carmen Álvarez ventured forward with a shot that was blocked by the visiting defence, and Ángeles del Álamo also had her chance with a header from a corner, but a confident Meritxell Muñoz gathered the ball without any problems to avert the danger. Around the hour mark, Browne entered the fray to add more attacking firepower to her team. Meanwhile, Marianna Seidl made her debut for the home side. The tension was high, but the goal wouldn't come.
With fifteen minutes remaining, Cristina Baudet came on for RCD Espanyol, while Estefanía Botero replaced Carla Andrés in the local defence. Anita Marcos sought a goal for the Catalan side, and Browne also generated danger in the final third, albeit without success. At the other end, Meritxell Muñoz caught a cross-shot from the edge of the area. Thirsa de Meester made her first appearance for the Basque team, and in stoppage time, when it seemed the match was heading for a draw, a corner delivery slipped through Meritxell Muñoz's grasp, and Alimata Bélem, who was the MVP of the match, was alert to send the ball into the back of the net and decide the game. Browne appealed for a potential penalty in the next play, but the scoreline remained unchanged.