The rapid Spanish retreat saved Blake’s army from a more serious defeat in Zornoza. It also left 8,000 men of the “División Asturiana”, under General Acevedo trapped in the mountains south of Bilbao where they had been left to guard Blake’s right flank. By the time they received the orders to retreat, the French had occupied Bilbao, blocking their route to safety. At the level of Valmaseda Blake received the reinforcement of the Division of the North, escaped from Denmark and landed a few dates before in Santander; he responded by turning back East; Victor tried to trap Gen Acevedo from south, but he stoped in Orduña; Lefebvre has ended his pursuit and returns to Bilbao.

Instead, Blake was able to draw the French into a trap of his own, and on November 5, Villatte’s division, operating ahead of the other French formations, blundered into a brusque attack; Blake, with superior forces,attacked the French vanguard . This attack drove the French out of Valmaseda, pulling back to prepare for a major battle, allowing Acevedo’s division to escape.

But while their leaders had erred badly, the iron discipline of the French soldiers did not fail them. Villatte, refusing to surrender, formed his troops into squares and managed to claw his way out of the Spanish encirclement. Even so, the Spaniards caused 300 killeds or woundeds and captured 300 men and one gun.

During the French retreat, Acevedo’s errant division bumped into Villatte’s baggage train and captured most of it.

On November 8, a resurgent Victor recaptured Valmaseda, killing and wounding 150 and capturing 600 men from Blake’s rearguard, beside separating tthe 4 ª Division of G eneral Carvajal, who for Sopuerta and Lanestosa withdrew towards Santander.

When the French returned to enter Valmaseda they burned it. According to Gaspar de Clermont-Ferrand ” Valmaseda had been completely reduced to ashes and the whole valley of the Nervión had been plundered “.

Blake tried to reorganize his forces in Nava, but before the nearness of the forces of Victor and Lefebvre he chose to move back towards Reinosa, covering his march the Division of the North, also known like ” of Fionia “, supervised by the Count of San Roman, who was containing in successive skirmishes (Laya, Bercedo, Villasorda) to the French vanguard.