Nico Williams Shines in Athletic Bilbao's 3-0 Victory Over Atletico Madrid

Nico Williams lit up San Mames and tore into Atletico Madrid’s aura of control, driving Athletic Bilbao to a commanding 3-0 win and a second straight La Liga victory.

For Diego Simeone’s side, it all unraveled in 60 chaotic seconds.

Williams brothers ignite San Mames

The game had simmered rather than burned through the first half, Atletico threatening early when Kang-In Lee clipped the post and briefly silenced the stadium. That scare jolted Athletic, and from then on Edin Terzic’s team grew into the contest, sharper in duels, braver on the ball, and increasingly aggressive down the flanks.

The breakthrough came shortly after the restart. It was a family affair.

Inaki Williams let fly from inside the box, his effort diverted awkwardly into the air. Nico reacted first, ghosting into the six-yard area and guiding a precise header past the keeper to make it 1-0. San Mames erupted. Nico, without a league goal since May — when he hit a brace against Alaves — had his release.

Atletico barely had time to reset.

Seconds later, Athletic broke with ruthless speed. Nico surged into space, Inaki joined him, and the brothers shredded Atletico’s defensive line on the counter. The move ended with Robert Navarro arriving to finish clinically for 2-0, capping a blistering transition that left Simeone’s men stunned and chasing shadows.

From a tight, tactical battle, the match had flipped into a statement performance.

Terzic’s touch and tactical shift

Nico Williams did not hide where he felt the change had come from. The winger pointed directly to head coach Edin Terzic, crediting the German for reshaping the team’s ideas and mindset.

"The manager we have is spectacular, and you can see it on the pitch," Nico said. "He's instilled many new things in us that we're grasping perfectly."

The turning point, in his eyes, came at the break.

"In the second half, he really got us into the game with a great talk in the locker room," he added. "We're very happy with the manager's style of play."

Terzic’s influence showed not just in the energy but in the structure. Athletic adjusted smartly as Atletico tried to wrest control, shifting into a back three after the interval to smother Simeone’s tactical tweaks. The change gave the hosts extra security against Atletico’s attacks while freeing their wide players to attack with even more conviction.

Terzic, satisfied but measured, highlighted both the response to Lee’s early effort off the post and the mentality that followed.

"I see a team that’s always ready to fight for victory," he said. "For me, the most important thing has been how we reacted... we showed real courage."

Statement win, growing belief

With the game stretched and Atletico forced to gamble, Athletic kept their composure. They defended aggressively, managed the tempo, and waited for the final punch.

It came late.

Oihan Sancet stepped up to add the third, sealing a 3-0 scoreline that reflected not just efficiency but authority. San Mames roared again, this time with the relaxed joy of a crowd that knew the points were safe.

The result gives Athletic back-to-back league wins and a surge of momentum as they climb the table and begin to look more like a side built for consistency rather than sporadic flashes.

For Nico Williams, the satisfaction ran deeper than just ending his scoring drought.

The three points, he stressed, carried extra weight after their recent away triumph, feeding a growing conviction in Terzic’s long-term project and the new identity taking shape on the pitch.

Terzic, though, refused to linger on the celebration. He made it clear the focus inside the camp turns immediately to Saturday’s league clash with Elche CF.

Two wins, a statement performance against elite opposition, a stadium fully behind them — the question now is whether this is just a surge, or the start of something more permanent at San Mames.