A match which started brightly, was played at a quick tempo and saw the away team carve out some clearcut chances, including a penalty, ended goalless.
The two teams had recently met in the Petronas Cup, which produced 5 goals. However, Cadiz matches in the league seem destined to be low scoring affairs. The Spaniards recorded their third 0-0 league draw in 4 games and their 4th draw in a row, to leave them without a win in 5 league matches, since a promising opening day win.
Conceding only 3 goals in 6 games is a positive at least but when you cannot score at the other end, fans tend to become disgruntled and the Cadiz fans certainly voiced their displeasure at the end of the game with a chorus of boos.
It should have been very different. Bilbao started the game like a raging bull. Cadiz did well to weather the storm after which the match turned into a contest between Cadiz striker Estoyanoff and Bilbao keeper Aranzubia. The striker's first goaden chance came on the half hour, as he played a clever one-two with Sesma which split the Bilbao defence. The Uruguayan had plenty of time to pick his spot but Aranzubia did brilliantly to stand up for as long as possible and finally produce the save. Estoyanoff would be one-on-one with the keeper again barely 5 minutes later, this time from the spot as Cadiz were awarded a penalty. No save was required though as the Cadiz striker hammered his kick wide. He would get one more chance before half time; again Sesma was the provider, slipping a diagonal ball into space in the box which the Uruguayan managed to reach ahead of his marker and poke at goal, only for Aranzubia to deny him again. The keeper capped a great personal performance early in the 2nd half with perhaps his best save of the lot as he showed superb reflexes to keep out a point blank header from that man Estoyanoff once again.
Asked what he thought of the crowd reaction at the final whistle, Cadiz manager Juan Carlos Oliveira responded, "It's understandable. The fans pay good money to follow the team and of course they want to see goals and wins. I think we're not far away from achieving that. It's positive that we're not conceding and not losing. We're usually creating the better chances, so I'm sure we'll start turning things around soon."