Nico Williams breaks league drought as Athletic Bilbao defeat Atletico Madrid 3-0

According to Marca, Nico Williams sparked Athletic Bilbao's second victory of the La Liga season, opening the scoring in a 3-0 triumph against Atletico Madrid at San Mames. The Lions produced a stunning one-minute burst early in the second half to dismantle Diego Simeone's side.

Nico headed home the opener after a shot from his brother, Inaki Williams, was redirected into the penalty area.

Seconds later, Nico and Inaki combined on a swift counter-attack to set up Robert Navarro for Athletic's second goal, before Oihan Sancet added a late third to complete the victory.

The goal marked Nico's first league strike since May, when he scored twice in a victory over Alaves. Following the final whistle, the young winger directed praise toward head coach Edin Terzic for transforming the team's tactical approach.

"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."

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

Terzic expressed satisfaction with how his squad executed the game plan against elite opposition. The German manager praised the supporters at San Mames while highlighting the courage displayed by his players following an early scare when Kang-In Lee hit the post.

Athletic adjusted intelligently throughout the match, switching to a back three in the second half to contain Atletico's tactical changes.

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

The victory secures back-to-back wins for Athletic Bilbao, providing strong momentum as they build consistency in the league standings.

Nico emphasized that the three points felt sweet following their recent away triumph, giving the squad belief in Terzic's long-term vision.

Terzic insisted the team will immediately turn their attention to Saturday's league encounter against Elche CF as they look to build on their fine form.