Athletic continues to launch in Europe

Athletic Club beat Turkish Fenerbahçe 0-2 this Wednesday at the Ulker Stadium Sükrü Saracoglu in a match corresponding to the sixth day of the League Phase of the Europa League 2024-2025, thanks to a double in the first half by forward Iñaki Williams, for the Basques to become leader of the competition, in a match that also left Nico Williams injured.

The ‘lions’ are still launching their return to Europe seven years later and will remain undefeated leaders with 16 points out of a possible 18 and five consecutive victories in this Europa League. The red and whites, with this prestigious victory against José Mourinho’s team, candidates for the title, have now virtually tied the ‘top 8’ that gives direct access to the round of 16.

The game turned against Ernesto Valverde’s side very quickly and very quickly, thanks to an error by the Turkish centre-back Samet Akaydin. This one, when barely three minutes had passed and after a long ball from the Basques, gave the ball to his goalkeeper with hardly any force and Gorka Guruzeta took advantage of it, who in the one-on-one gave the goal to Iñaki Williams to put his team ahead. .

Then, the match entered into that expected equality, without control on the part of either team and some approach, although without danger, from the locals. Saint-Maximin was the biggest complication for the Basques, who were highly demanded by the Turkish team’s left zone. However, it was Guruzeta who had the score at 0-2, missing a one-on-one match against a successful one, this time, Dominik Livakovic.

The first half, from better to worse for Athletic, ended with the bad news for the Bilbao team of the injury of Nico Williams, who was replaced with knee discomfort by Alex Berenguer. It could have been worse, because just before half-time Mert Müldür invented a long shot that grazed the post.

And when Fenerbahçe was at its best, Iñaki Williams once again invented a whip from the right to the crossbar of the short post, impossible for the Croatian goalkeeper, which allowed the Basques to get the victory back on track and do a lot of damage to a rival who had been close to a tie. and he went to the locker room very touched.

After the break, the pace was a little heavier and we had to wait until the 60th minute to see the first big chance, on the part of the Turks, but Tadic’s shot already inside the area hit an opponent and it didn’t go any further. Mourinho tried to shake up the match by bringing on striker Edin Dzeko to double the offensive danger and help a solitary Youssef En-Nesyri, very well guarded by the red and white defense.

But, with more spaces, Athletic’s intense and high pressure gave the Basques wings, hitting hard on the counter thanks to a toned Sancet who had a couple of chances to definitively put the game away. And the path to victory was further paved with the expulsion for a double yellow after two fouls on Iñaki Williams of Müldür, which left the Turks with almost no chance of believing in a comeback.

José Mourinho’s team put pressure at the end of the match with a clash between Sofian Amrabat and Oihan Sancet, but without creating too many problems for the red and whites, who reinforced their status as favorites in a competition that will see its final in San Mamés, while Fenerbahçe It becomes complicated and tangled in the table, in which it falls to fifteenth place with eight points.