Aranbarri’s Eibar ‘miracle’: six straight wins after a poor start

Jokin Aranbarri’s Eibar ‘miracle’ continues. After opening the season with a defeat, the club have become the sole leaders of LaLiga Hypermotion thanks to a run of six consecutive wins, the first such streak in their professional football history.

The initial 3-1 loss at Ipurua against newly promoted Tenerife had hardly offered encouragement. Eibar had changed coach and were nowhere near among the biggest spenders in the summer transfer window. It is precisely the team’s response to that setback which stands out in a competition where results are often unpredictable.

Since then, Eibar have beaten Valladolid, Andorra, Granada, Celta Fortuna, Eldense and, last Sunday, Las Palmas. Those six wins have taken them to the top of the table, underlining an ability to win in different ways.

Reduced to 10 men in Andorra, Aranbarri’s players held firm. They won a tight match against Valladolid, beat Granada 3-0, and then exploded at Balaídos against Celta’s reserve side, leading 4-0 before half-time. Eibar then won away at Eldense and defeated Las Palmas 3-2 after a devastating start to the match. That variety in their wins does not appear to be a coincidence.

Aranbarri has built an intense team, able to press high and attack quickly after winning the ball back, while also capable of slowing the tempo and competing in tighter contests. Off-the-ball movement, runs from deep and the clear idea of winning possession before immediately looking towards the opposition goal are features of this approach.

After several years within Eibar’s structure, followed by a spell in Athletic’s academy, Aranbarri returned to the club. At 41, the coach has been able to count in particular on the strong displays of Malcom Adu Ares, Jon Guruzeta and Ander Madariaga, although the current success goes beyond individual contributions.

Eibar and their coach intend to keep working to fight for promotion, even though it had not been viewed as a seasonal objective given the club’s budget. Leaders of the second division, Eibar are enjoying a ‘miracle’ their supporters can celebrate.