Inaki Williams flew back from Africa just in time to fire Athletic Bilbao past Barcelona and into the Copa del Rey semi-finals with a vital goal in their 4-2 extra-time win on Wednesday. The Ghanaian striker had played for his country on Monday, but returned to help his team stun the Spanish giants and heap more pressure on their coach Xavi Hernandez.
Athletic took the lead in the first minute through Gorka Guruzeta, but Barca bounced back with goals from Robert Lewandowski and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.
Oihan Sancet leveled the score early in the second half and then set up Inaki Williams to put the Basques ahead in extra-time.
His brother Nico Williams sealed the deal with a late strike to cap off a brilliant night for the hosts, and a woeful one for Barca, who fought hard but fell short.
“We made mistakes, we lacked focus,” conceded Xavi.
“We are not hiding from our errors.”
The coach said he was not losing his cool despite the loss and had bigger goals in mind.
“We still have La Liga and the Champions League, the most important trophies are still there, and we will compete for them like we did today,” he said.
Barca, who recently lost to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final, need to win a trophy this season, according to Xavi.
They are eight points behind the leaders in La Liga, and saw the Copa del Rey as a realistic chance to lift some silverware.
But they met their match in Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic, who have won the cup 23 times, second only to Barca, and who had the Williams brothers in top form.
“Inaki’s presence was a huge boost for us,” Valverde told TVE.
Watch Highlights
https://youtu.be/Bct3a1N6reo?si=1E3ZeYxPoNzteiqx
