Dimitrovic the Brick Wall: 'Makro' Frustrates His Bilbao Mates
Former Eibar keeper Marko Dimitrovic returns to haunt Athletic Club with a stellar performance for Espanyol at San Mamés despite his friendly ties to the Basque club.
The Serbian Stopper Shuts Out Old Neighbours
Former Bilbao resident Marko Dimitrovic showed absolutely no sentiment towards his old mates as he put in a stellar performance to frustrate Athletic Club at San Mamés.
The Serbian keeper, nicknamed ‘Makro’ during his time in the Basque Country (a nod to his imposing frame), might never have worn the famous red and white stripes, but he’s certainly no stranger to Bilbao. During his spell at Eibar under Mendilibar, the 33-year-old lived in central Bilbao where he had several Athletic players as neighbours.
Dimitrovic formed particularly strong bonds with the Williams brothers, especially Iñaki. Their pre and post-match embraces have become something of a tradition whenever they face each other. But once the whistle blows, it’s strictly business for the keeper who seems determined to slam the door shut on his pals.
Not Today, Mate
The Espanyol stopper pulled off two absolutely top-drawer saves in the first half to deny both Gorosabel and Berenguer. Even the home crowd at La Catedral couldn’t help but admire his reflexes, though they weren’t exactly chuffed about it.
He was finally beaten when Berenguer pounced on a loose ball following a saved Iñaki Williams effort. At that point, many Athletic supporters would’ve fancied their chances - the team has an impressive record when scoring first. But Dimitrovic had other ideas, making several more crucial interventions to ensure the points were shared.
González de Zárate Impresses
While Dimitrovic stole the headlines, many San Mamés regulars were left scratching their heads about Urko González de Zárate. The 24-year-old Alavés-born midfielder put in a proper shift for Espanyol against Athletic.
Formerly in Real Sociedad’s system, González de Zárate spent last season on loan at Espanyol before signing a permanent five-year deal with the Catalan club. Athletic seemingly passed on the opportunity to pursue him, unlike their approach with other players like Gorosabel and Robert Navarro who took more circuitous routes to Bilbao via Alavés and Mallorca respectively.
For the Basque giants, this was two points down the swanny, and they’ll be hoping their old neighbour Dimitrovic isn’t quite so inhospitable next time they meet.