Alaves 0 - 0 Sporting de Gijon: Unbeaten starts continue for Alaves and Sporting Gijon in goalless stalemate

Posted Monday, August 29, 2016 by PA

Alaves and Sporting Gijon maintained their unbeaten starts to the LaLiga season as they played out an uneventful goalless draw at Estadio Mendizorrotza.

In an even game of few clear chances, Ibai Gomez came closest to clinching victory for the home side, while Duje Cop squandered Gijon's best chance.

The hosts, on the back of an unlikely point at Atletico Madrid last weekend, began brightly with forward Gomez firing just over the crossbar after receiving the ball on the edge of the area.

Victor Rodriguez then threatened an opener at the other end when he shot inches wide of the right-hand post from 20 yards.

Gijon began the season with a surprise win over Athletic Bilbao and they came even closer to taking the lead with 19 minutes played.

Full-back Lillo Castellano seized on a rebound before firing towards the top-left corner only for Alaves goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco to tip the ball behind for a corner.

Gomez, a summer signing from Bilbao, was proving to be a constant menace at the other end and, after escaping his marker, he saw a header repelled by visiting keeper Ivan Cuellar before he again threatened with a long-range effort which flew narrowly wide of the left-hand upright.

In between Gomez's opportunities, Croatian forward Cop wasted an excellent opening for the visitors when he climbed highest in the penalty area to direct a header the wrong side of the post.

Goalscoring chances were even more limited after the break and the stalemate rarely looked like being broken.

Alaves' Venezuelan forward Christian Santos went closest but his towering header in time added on was blocked by a defender as both sides were forced to settle for a point.