Williams Brothers Lead Athletic Bilbao to Copa del Rey Final Victory

They had both been decisive in the previous round. They did it again. The Williams brothers, Inaki and Nico, allowed Athletic Bilbao to qualify for the Copa del Rey final on Thursday by winning in San Mamés ahead of Atlético Madrid (3-0) in the semi-final return. The Basques, winners in the first leg at the Metropolitano (1-0), join Mallorca, who defeated Real Sociedad in the other half, in the final of the competition which will be played in Seville next April.

An opponent well within the reach of Athletic, who have just eliminated FC Barcelona and Atlético in quick succession and are more than ever in the race to win a 24th Copa del Rey, the first since 1984.

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The Basque club, which recently failed in the final against its neighbor Real Sociedad (2020) then against Barça (2021), will try to break the bad spell and offer its audience, still hot on Thursday evening, a first trophy since a Spanish Super Cup in 2021.

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Still deprived of the magic of Antoine Griezmann, injured in the ankle, the Colchoneros have never been able to believe in a “comeback”. They, on the other hand, were dominated by the Lions, who were far superior in all areas of the game. Found at the far post on a fleeing cross from his younger brother Nico, Inaki Williams opened the scoring with a volley from the right (13th, 1-0), capsizing San Mamés for the first time.

Le show des Williams

And the two Spanish-Ghanaian brothers, already scorers in the quarter-finals against FC Barcelona in overtime (4-2), punished the opponent’s lack of realism a second time just before half-time. This time it was the elder Inaki who played against Hermoso before finding his little brother Nico behind, the Spanish winger deceiving Oblak from close range (42nd, 2-0).

A second goal which gave wings to the Basque supporters, all standing to celebrate their team’s three goal lead in this double confrontation. A gap impossible to fill by Diego Simeone’s players, totally overwhelmed and without solution in the face of the opposing intensity.

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Bilbao even ended up hitting the nail on the head on the hour mark, Spanish striker Gorka Guruzeta adding a third goal after a Sancet strike poorly repelled by Oblak (61st, 3-0). Atlético, under the leadership of newcomers Memphis Depay and Rodrigo Riquelme, tried to save honor but each time found the gloves of Agirrezabala, vigilant on his line.

2024-02-29 23:06:00
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