In an intensely fought La Liga match between Athletic Bilbao and Valencia on the 28th of August, the home team secured a narrow 1-0 victory. Athletic Bilbao's early goal at 00:45:23 in the first half proved decisive. The solitary goal stemmed from precise teamwork and effective ball movement, showcasing Bilbao's ability to capitalize on early opportunities.

Defensively, Athletic Bilbao exhibited resilience, limiting Valencia to zero goals despite the visitors' repeated efforts. Bilbao’s defense successfully restricted Valencia to only three corner kicks and consistently challenged their offense, evident in Bilbao’s 14 fouls compared to Valencia’s 9. This physicality and defensive resolve, while leading to one yellow card for Bilbao, effectively stymied Valencia’s attacking progress.

Valencia, struggling to find cohesion in the attacking third, conceded three yellow cards, a reflection of their frustration and lack of discipline throughout the match. These early bookings suggested a reactive rather than proactive approach, further undermining their efforts. Offensively, Valencia’s three offsides indicated a propensity to be overly eager or poorly timed in their attacks.

Comparatively, Athletic Bilbao demonstrated a slightly better overall teamwork by leveraging set-pieces efficiently with five corner kicks and managing to stay disciplined with only one offside. Their balanced approach and tactical fouls halted many of Valencia's offensive drives, ensuring Bilbao maintained control.

Overall, the significant factors that decided the match were Bilbao’s early goal, sharp defensive strategy, and Valencia’s inability to maintain discipline and cohesiveness in key moments. This statistical analysis underscores how pivotal early scoring and defensive solidity can be in high-stakes football games.

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