There is a recurring theme in this second half of the Liga Hypermotion season: if Eibar strikes first, no opponent can come back. The team has proved this 13 times this year. Nine of those have come in the last 12 matches, where only Málaga, Real Valladolid, and Burgos have managed to take any points. The last of those—the white-and-blues—needed to take the lead twice on the scoreboard to avoid defeat, while Valladolid and Burgos had to settle for a narrow draw. In total, Eibar has shown remarkable reliability in both boxes for over two months.
During this period, the Arm team has stabilized a trend that was building since the Christmas break: conceding fewer goals and converting more chances. These virtues have allowed them to control 59% of the minutes played, while a mere 3% reflects the time they have been behind on the scoreboard. Everything else has been level. Beyond scoring first, Eibar has learned to manage its advantage better than in the first half of the season, turning its sharpness into points by keeping clean sheets. The team’s defensive versatility has been crucial—San José’s men feel almost as comfortable pressing high as they do dropping deep near their own area.
Recently, the side has often faced the dilemma of how to lock down a result. In three of the last seven matchdays, Eibar has taken the lead before the 15-minute mark and held on to its advantage (without conceding) until the final whistle. Sanse, Ceuta, and most recently Mirandés have all experienced this. Against the jabatos, Eibar’s early goal left the visitors with little chance after trailing for 87 minutes—a deficit that wasn’t enough to trouble Jonmi, with only two isolated shots on target.
With time, the numbers show that Eibar plays better when ahead. The team has no hesitation in dropping deep to form a low block while trusting its counterattack for goals. In fact, transitions after winning the ball have become one of its strongest assets, though Beñat San José continues to stress the need for further improvement in that area. If that happens, opponents will have no answer. Eibar can do it all: strike first, protect the lead, and then look for the next blow. They control the rhythm at will.