Athletic Club produced a stunning second-half performance at San Mamés to demolish Atlético Madrid 3-0 on Saturday, with Nico Williams opening the scoring before Robert Navarro and Oihan Sancet completed a memorable victory for the Basque side.
After a tense and evenly contested first half, Athletic exploded into life immediately after the interval, scoring twice within three minutes to completely change the complexion of the match. Atlético Madrid, who arrived in Bilbao after an impressive 3-1 victory over Sevilla, were unable to recover as Athletic’s intensity, attacking movement and defensive organisation overwhelmed Diego Simeone’s side.
The opening 45 minutes had promised a much closer contest.
Atlético started with plenty of confidence and attempted to impose themselves on the game, looking to use their attacking quality to put Athletic under pressure. Ademola Lookman and other attacking players offered moments of danger, while Athletic relied heavily on the pace and creativity of the Williams brothers to threaten on the counter.
However, neither side could find the breakthrough before the interval.
Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simón was particularly important during the opening period, producing key interventions whenever Atlético threatened to turn their possession into clear opportunities. At the opposite end, Jan Oblak and Atlético’s defensive line also had to remain alert as Athletic gradually grew into the contest.
The first half eventually ended 0-0, but the game was about to change dramatically.
Just one minute after the restart, Athletic finally broke the deadlock.
In the 46th minute, Nico Williams scored to put Athletic Club 1-0 ahead. The winger produced a superb attacking moment inside the penalty area, rising to meet the ball and directing a header into the net. The goal was subsequently checked by VAR before being confirmed, sending the San Mamés crowd into wild celebrations.
The timing of the goal was devastating for Atlético.
Simeone’s players had barely recovered from conceding when Athletic struck again.
Only two minutes later, in the 48th minute, Robert Navarro doubled Athletic’s advantage, making it 2-0 and sending Atlético into serious trouble. The second goal came at the end of a blistering spell from the hosts, who suddenly found enormous space in the Atlético defence.
Within just three minutes of the second half beginning, Athletic had transformed a goalless match into a commanding two-goal lead.
The response from Atlético was to turn to their bench. Simeone introduced several important players, including Julián Álvarez, Cristian Romero and Koke, hoping their experience and quality could help rescue the visitors. But Athletic had already seized control of the contest.
Atlético’s attempts to get back into the game only created more opportunities for Athletic to exploit spaces at the other end.
With the visitors pushing forward, gaps began appearing in their defensive structure. Athletic remained compact without the ball and looked dangerous whenever they regained possession. The hosts’ ability to transition quickly prevented Atlético from building sustained pressure.
The atmosphere inside San Mamés became increasingly electric as Athletic supporters sensed that a major victory was within reach.
Atlético continued searching for a goal, but Athletic’s defence stood firm. Simón and his defenders repeatedly frustrated the visitors, while Atlético’s forwards struggled to find the clear openings required to beat the Basque side.
As the match entered stoppage time, Athletic put the final stamp on an outstanding performance.
In the 90th minute, Oihan Sancet scored Athletic’s third goal, completing a devastating victory and turning the final minutes into a celebration for the home supporters.
The final whistle shortly afterwards confirmed one of Athletic’s most impressive performances of the early La Liga campaign.
The result was especially significant for Edin Terzić, who has begun to establish his influence at Athletic following a difficult opening to the season. Athletic had suffered defeats against Sevilla and Barcelona earlier in the campaign but responded with a 2-0 victory over Celta Vigo before producing an even more impressive performance against Atlético Madrid.
For Atlético, however, the defeat was a major setback. Simeone’s team had entered the match with confidence after beating Sevilla 3-1, but they were completely outplayed during the decisive stages in Bilbao.
Nico Williams was undoubtedly one of the central figures of the evening. His 46th-minute header provided the breakthrough and triggered an extraordinary three-goal victory. Robert Navarro’s quick second goal compounded Atlético’s problems, while Sancet’s late strike ensured there would be no dramatic comeback.
Ultimately, the scoreline told the story of a match that changed completely after half-time.
For 45 minutes, Atlético Madrid had competed on almost equal terms. Then Athletic Club exploded into action, scoring twice in the opening three minutes of the second half before finishing the job late on.
Final score: Athletic Club 3-0 Atlético Madrid.
Nico Williams started the second-half demolition, Robert Navarro added the second, and Oihan Sancet delivered the final blow as Athletic Club celebrated a statement victory at San Mamés.
