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 resistance, driving Athletic Bilbao to a statement 3-0 win and their second La Liga victory of the season.

For 45 minutes, Diego Simeone’s side clung on. They even threatened to spoil the night when Kang-In Lee clipped the post early on, a sharp reminder that this was still elite opposition with teeth. But the roar inside San Mames never dipped, and neither did Athletic’s belief.

Then the game flipped. In a minute.

Williams brothers ignite San Mames

Early in the second half, the Williams brothers ripped the contest away from Atletico.

First, chaos in the box. Inaki Williams let fly, his effort diverted into the heart of the penalty area. Nico reacted quickest, attacking the dropping ball and guiding his header home. One precise touch, one explosion of noise. His first league goal since May, when he struck twice against Alaves, and a release of weeks of frustration.

Atletico barely had time to reset.

Seconds later, Athletic broke with venom. Nico and Inaki combined at full tilt on a ruthless counter-attack, carving through the visitors’ stretched shape. This time the final pass found Robert Navarro, who finished to make it 2-0 and send San Mames into delirium. Two punches, one stunned heavyweight.

From there, Athletic played with a control and confidence that spoke of a team growing into something more dangerous than just early-season form.

Terzic’s imprint and a brave switch

On the touchline, Edin Terzic watched his plan unfold against one of the most tactically drilled teams in Europe. The German coach has not been in Bilbao long, but his fingerprints are already all over this side.

Nico Williams did not hide where he felt the difference lay.

“The manager we have is spectacular, and you can see it on the pitch,” he said afterwards. “He’s instilled many new things in us that we’re grasping perfectly.”

The winger pointed directly to the interval as the turning point.

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

That shift was not just emotional; it was structural. Athletic adjusted smartly as Atletico chased a way back, moving to a back three in the second half to absorb Simeone’s tactical tweaks and close down the spaces that had briefly opened up. The change gave them extra security without blunting their threat on the break.

Terzic, for his part, highlighted the attitude behind the tactics.

“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.”

He also reserved praise for the San Mames crowd, whose relentless backing helped carry the team through that early scare when Lee struck the post and tension briefly gripped the stands.

A third to seal it – and a team growing in belief

As Atletico pushed, gaps widened. Athletic did not waste them.

Oihan Sancet arrived late to add a third and complete the dismantling, a goal that underlined the maturity of the performance as much as the scoreline. This was not a smash-and-grab against a giant; it was a controlled, intelligent display that built from that explosive one-minute burst.

The win makes it back-to-back league victories for Athletic, momentum that feels more substantial than a simple mini-run. Nico admitted the three points tasted even sweeter coming straight after their recent away triumph, a result he believes has reinforced the squad’s belief in Terzic’s long-term vision.

The coach, though, refused to get carried away. He made it clear the focus now is on turning this surge into a standard, not a spike. Attention, he insisted, goes immediately to Saturday’s league clash with Elche CF.

Two wins, a humming San Mames, a young star rediscovering his scoring touch, and a manager whose ideas are landing fast. The question now is not whether this Athletic side can compete on nights like this, but how far this new edge can carry them across a long La Liga season.