Iñaki and Nico have led Valverde’s men in two consecutive victories to dispel the doubts of the preseason
The brothers are the great reference in the ‘zurigorri’ forward and they have started the campaign very plugged in
The Williams brothers, Iñaki and Nico, have made Athletic happy at this start of the season, which the Basque team was still disappointed by the opportunities lost the previous year, the feeling of weakening of the squad with the departure of Iñigo Martínez and an official debut in San Mamés without giving the stature against Real Madrid.
But, as he has done many times when least expected, Athletic reacted. First in a match against the grain at El Sadar and then chaining a spectacular comeback against Betis In the cathedral”.
Two victories that have lifted him to a high part of the table that is once again his goal. Although this time it seems that without going so far as to make it explicit in a public way by the president, coach and captain, Jon Uriarte, Ernesto Valverde and Iker Muniain, like last season.
Those six points achieved, and also with brilliant moments in the two games, they have been a balm for the Bilbao fans, who see how the return of Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta is already a reinforcement as well as a signing and the lack of goal that compromised the end of last season begins to be alleviated with the Williams on the wings and a ‘9’, Gorka Guruzeta.
If anything, he still lacks a defense solution that alleviates the departure of Iñigo Martínez to Barcelona, the non-arrival of an impossible economically impossible Aymeric Laporte after Saudi football entered the scene and, most unexpectedly, the loss due to injury to Yeray Álvarez.
But between Dani Vivian and Paredes they are weathering the storm as best they can now Ernesto Valverde has turned on the light to convert Yuri Berchiche, an attacking full-back, into a central defender to help get the ball out to the left.
that movement One of the joys of the start of the course will also allow it, which is the appearance of Imanol García de Albéniz, who can be said to remember another full-back from Gallarta, Asier del Horno, with the ballalready explains what it promises.
But the good news on the pitch for Athletic does not stop at Galarreta and Imanol. Given that Guruzeta has once again seen the door as in his unexpected irruption the previous year, Mikel Vesga wins more and more in the team, to the point that he had the courage to shoot and score two penalties on Sunday against Betis, with his team down on the scoreboard, and A new ‘lion’ has appeared who has even scored a goal: Unai Gómez.
It will not be difficult for the almost still ‘cub’, since in his position, in principle the midfielder, are Oihan Sancet, indisputable and increasingly at a higher level after coming from a great European under-21 both from Spain and from individual level; and Iker Muniain, who took over from Sancet due to his sending off in Pamplona. The captain seems on the way to losing presence for Valverde, but he is still the one who best matures attack plays.
However, the figures of the Williams emerge above all. Iñaki is probably the most outstanding of the rojiblancos at the start of the season, with a goal, an assist, direct participation in four of his team’s six goals and insistence on the flankto that it ends up overflowing its markers.
Nico is the most decisive. His were the assists in the 0-2 goals against Osasuna and Rui Silva and Guido Rodríguez gave him the penalties with which Vesga tied the 0-2 with which Betis had gone ahead and which promoted the comeback to the final 4-2.
Anyway, the Williams’ draft interventions did not stay on the field. They also had them before the microphones after the Betis game.
“Everything has its process. Let people be calm. Things are going well,” said Nico dispelling the fears of the “athleticzale” fans, who were beginning to think that their star player, whose contract ends at the end of this season, could leave.
Iñaki delved into it when he revealed his desire that the “youngsters” of the team be able, as happened to him at the beginning of his career, to travel around Europe playing continental competitions.
That’s not signing a renewal, but close. Or, at least, that is how it has been interpreted in Bilbao. Where the rojilancos fans have brightened up their faces after a “big week” started with a win at El Sadar, against the rival that last year snatched a Cup final and a European ticket from them, and ended with a spectacular win against Betis in one of those magical nights in San Mamés that were beginning to be missed.
And, furthermore, with the conviction that the key player in his future project, together with Sancet, will continue for another year.