Quick Navigation
The two brothers, Inaki Williams and Nico Williams, showed their performance when Athletic Club welcomed Atletico Madrid at San Memes to play the second leg of the Copa Del Rey’s semifinal. Due to their brilliant performance, Athletic Club dominated Atletico Madrid and won the match by a 3-0 margin. As a result, Athletic Club booked their place in the Copa del Rey Final on a 4-0 aggregate, where they will face off against Mallorca on April 6.
However, Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid had gone through a long journey to reach the semifinal. Athletic Club eliminated FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid knocked out Real Madrid.
But Atletico Madrid were the favorite against Athletic Club in the semifinal because of their previous experience in big games. Yet they had failed to score a single goal in two legs – ultimately losing the semifinal on a 4-0 aggregate.
Match Report
Since Athletic Club won the first leg at Civitas Metropolitano by a narrow 1-0 margin, Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid were more than desperate to make a comeback in the second leg at San Memes last night.
Simone set up the team formation with an aggressive 3-5-2, using two wing-backs with three CBs. On the other hand, Athletic boss Ernesto Valverde played his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation to defend the lead.
However, the match started with both teams trying to get an early lead. But it was the home team who broke the deadlock first at San Memes. In the 13th minute, Athletic Club got the lead as Inaki Williams scored a brilliant goal with the help of his brother Nico Williams. Inaki converted Nico Williams cross into a brilliant goal with a flying volley to find the back of the net.
Indeed, the two brothers were a real threat to Atletico Madrid in the entire game. These two continuously broke Atletico Madrid’s defense when they got the ball. Atletico Madrid, however, tried and fought for their lives to get back into the game. But the home side didn’t give the chance and doubled their lead just before the first half.
The second goal came in the 42nd minute, thanks to the Williams brothers. This time, Nico Williams wrote his name to the score sheet as he found the net with Inaki Williams’ assist.
The home team continued their dominance in the second half as well, giving the capital team no chance. Moreover, Athletic Club hammered the final nail in Atletico Madrid’s coffin when Gorka Guruzeta made it 3-0 in the 61st minute. However, Atletico Madrid failed to score in the remaining minute, resulting in Athletic Bilbao securing the final on a 4-0 aggregate.
Our Connection is Real – Nico Williams
The Williams brothers stole all the spotlight of the match. Nico Willilams, however, talked about his understanding with his brother. Nico Williams told TVE, “Our connection is real and it’s working very well. We understand each other. I’m delighted, it’s a dream to reach the final and to do it in front of our fans that were fantastic as always. Athletic can do it all and hopefully win the final.”
