Athletic Club got their La Liga season off to a fine start with a thrilling 3-2 win against Sevilla at the San Mamés Barria. Los Leones put their miserable pre-season form firmly behind them in front of 49,134 raucous home fans despite a strong fight-back from the visitors in the second half.
Nico Williams, who turned down the overtures of Barcelona during the summer and opted to sign a new long-term deal with Athletic, was the star of the show. However, it was Sevilla who created the first opening inside the first five minutes when left winger Stanis Idumbo-Muzambo slipped the ball through to Akor Adams. The Nigerian striker hit a low shot at Unai Simón and the Spanish international goalkeeper parried it away.
Adams did have the ball in the net just before the half hour mark, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside. The deadlock was broken a few minutes later when Williams got in behind his marker and went down inside the area to earn a highly dubious penalty. He stepped up himself to convert it and open his account for the season.
Williams turned creator just before half time when he outfoxed three defenders to wriggle into the box and cross for Maroan Sannadi to tap home from close range, making it 2-0 to Athletic. After the interval, the Nico Williams show carried on where it left off, with the forward striking a shot against the far post in the 50th minute.
However, the tide soon started to turn and Sevilla began to threaten once more. They got back into the game with a wonder strike from Belgian winger Dodi Lukébakio in the 60th minute. He picked up the ball in the inside right channel and worked it onto his left foot before hitting a screamer into the top corner from around 25 yards. An early contender for goal of the season.
Suddenly Sevilla had the wind in their sails and the Athletic Club defence started to wobble. Unai Simón was called upon several times to protect the lead but he was helpless in the 72nd minute when French midfielder Lucien Agoumé curled a shot in from the edge of the box after good work from Lukébakio and Juanlu Sánchez down the right.
Sevilla looked the more likely winners at that point, but Nico Williams wasn’t finished yet. Fed by his brother Iñaki, he broke down the right and reached the byline from where he lifted the ball towards substitute Robert Navarro who had lost his marker at the far post. The debutant hooked the ball back across goal and into the net to restore the lead for Athletic with just ten minutes of normal time remaining.
The home side managed to close out the game without any further scares and they’ll hope to make it two from two when they face Rayo Vallecano at San Mamés on matchday two of La Liga next weekend. That will be followed by a trip to Seville to face Real Betis before the international break.