Athletic Club takes sole lead in the Europa League after beating Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe in Türkiye with a score of 0-2. Two goals from Iñaki Williams in the first half were enough for the Basques to record their fifth consecutive victory in this continental competition. However, the Rojiblanca team suffered a major blow with the injury of Nico Williams, who had to leave the field eight minutes before the break.
Valverde’s players showed clear superiority over Mourinho’s. Their performance was aided by their captain’s early goal. A big mistake by the Turkish defense allowed Iñaki Williams to score his first goal after a clever pass from Guruzeta. The Turks tried to react with more heart than lucidity, but came up against the defensive solidity of a Bilbao team which favors proactive defense.
The final blow for Fenerbahçe came just before the break, when Iñaki Williams scored his second goal. The second half was similar, although without new goals. The expulsion of defender Muldur twenty minutes from time further eased the task of an Athletic Club which knew how to manage the frustration of the Amrabat players and its teammates.
Mourinho, whose team sits in fifteenth position in the league with just eight points after a defeat against Besiktas, opted for four changes to his squad. The Nigerian Osayi-Samuel was aligned as a right back, Yuksek played as a double pivot, Szymanski as an offensive support, and En-Nesyri replaced Dzeko as a striker. The Turkish Canaries tried to take advantage of the atmosphere to intimidate the Basque lions.
Athletic did not flinch. Valverde also made four changes to the team compared to his last match against Villarreal. Gorosabel took the right defender position in place of De Marcos, Yeray replaced Vivian in central defense, Jauregizar took Prados’ place in double pivot, and Nico Williams returned to his position on the left flank in place of Berenguer .
The rojiblancos, wearing their usual colors, were quick to open the scoring, scoring after less than five minutes of play. Taking advantage of a bad pass from Akaydin towards his goalkeeper, Guruzeta infiltrated and let Iñaki pass Williams who scored in an empty cage. From that moment on, the Basques took control of the game. Attempts by Mourinho’s men to approach Agirrezabala’s goal quickly proved unsuccessful.
The lions continued to push and had another clear chance through Guruzeta to score the second goal, but Livakovic won his duel against the striker. The bad news for Athletic came on the half-hour mark, when Nico Williams was forced off the field with an injury. Berenguer took his place.
Fenerbahçe then intensified its attacks. Valverde’s players tightened the defense, returning to the locker room with an additional goal in advance. Paredes combined with Sancet, this one with Iñaki Williams, who scored with a powerful shot into the top corner.
At the restart, Vivian replaced Yeray, who was under sanction. The lions, masters of possession, had two good chances to increase their lead, but Guruzeta and Berenguer did not materialize. Mourinho, with ex-colchonero Soyuncu in central defense, brought in old Dzeko. The Basques, solidly anchored in defense, almost sealed the fate of the match with an attempt from Sancet which flew over the bar. Muldur’s expulsion in the 69th minute made Athletic’s task even easier.
Point of view
As an engaged observer of football, it is fascinating to see how Athletic Club manages to create a positive dynamic in this competition. The synergy between Iñaki Williams and his teammates demonstrates a well-established collective, capable of facing strong opponents like Fenerbahçe. However, the absence of a key player such as Nico Williams could unfortunately slow down this rise. It will be interesting to follow the team’s evolution in the coming matches and see how they adapt in the face of increasing challenges, while maintaining their attacking and dynamic playing philosophy.
Our editors use AI to help them deliver fresh items from trusted sources to our users. If you find any image or content that is inappropriate, please contact us via DMCA form and we will promptly remove it. / Our editors use AI to help them offer our readers fresh articles from reliable sources. If you find an image or content inappropriate, please contact us via the DMCA form and we’ll remove it promptly.
- -