Despite Inaki Williams’ goal drought for Ghana, both he and his brother Nico Williams scored when Athletic Bilbao defeated Espanyol on Saturday.
Bilbao came into the game as injured Lions, having lost to Osasuna in the Cup del Rey quarterfinals. They started out to a quick start, like they had in their last game, but they failed to capitalize on their opportunity.
Inaki Williams, on the other hand, calmed things down in the 22nd minute when he ran to receive a long ball from Daniel Garcia and then drove it past Fernando Pacheco to give Bilbao the lead.
Despite Athletic Bilbao’s best efforts to extend the score, the Espanyol goalie kept the situation under control until at least halftime.
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The majority of Espanyol’s offensive attempts were repulsed by Athletic Bilbao’s backline, making it tough for them to recapture the initiative.
After joining the game in the 69th minute, Inaki Williams’ brother Nico Williams gave Bilbao additional energy up front. He extended the advantage in the 75th minute with a stunning shot from the edge of the box.
In the similar spirit, Inaki Williams recently received urgent backing from head coach Chris Hughton following his poor play for Ghana.
The Black Stars just returned from Angola, where they drew 1-1 in the second leg of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
This means that, after eight appearances in the Ghanaian shirt, Williams, an Athletic Bilbao player, has failed to score for the Black Stars. Despite his goal-scoring slump with the Black Stars, Hughton believes the attacker from Spain brings more to the team.
He stated;
It’s an essential aspect of the game. We know that Inaki is a very excellent player who plays for a good team in a good league. It’s not all about objectives with someone like Inaki. You already know that he plays regularly for his team, that he is a play that makes a lot of runs, that he extends play, and that he occasionally assists other players. The goals will come, although not always as quickly as you would want. What matters most to us is his contribution.
