Nico Williams started for Athletic Bilbao in their La Liga match against Atlético Madrid on Saturday. The game, officiated by referee José Luis Munuera Montero, took place at San Mamés stadium at 16:15, as originally reported by Mundo Deportivo.
Atlético Madrid arrived at this fixture as one of the unbeaten teams in the competition. With seven points from three matches, Diego Simeone's side sits fourth in the standings, just two points behind leaders Barcelona. Their record of two wins and a draw (WDW) and a +4 goal difference (7 scored, 3 conceded) reflects a strong start to the season.
How did Athletic Bilbao line up?
Athletic's manager, besides starting Nico Williams, lined up with Unai Simón in goal. The defense consisted of Areso, Yeray, Laporte, and Yuri. In midfield, Galarreta and Gerenabarrena were joined by Robert Navarro and Oihan Sancet. The attack was led by the Williams brothers, with Iñaki completing the frontline.
The Bilbao bench included players like Padilla, Paredes, Prados, Berenguer, Hugo Rincón, Jauregizar, Rego, Maroan, Monreal, Johaneko, and Selton. The squad was without Nico Serrano and Djaló, who were not selected. The injured players ruled out were Sergio Canales and Dani Vivian.
What team did Atlético Madrid field?
Diego Simeone trusted Jan Oblak in goal. Atlético's defensive line was made up of Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, David Hancko, and Alejandro Grimaldo. In the center, Álex Baena, Pablo Barrios, and Pierre-Emile Hjulmand formed the trio, with Kang In Lee and Ademola Lookman supporting striker Giuliano.
On the red-and-white bench awaited players such as Musso, Mendoza, Johnny, captain Koke, J. David, Arnau Ortiz, Julián Álvarez, Romero, Robin Le Normand, Domínguez, D. Martínez, and Castillo. The team is navigating this part of the season with confirmed absences for Alexander Sørloth and Arnau Ortiz, according to the current injuries list.
What was the context surrounding the match?
Athletic came into the match with three points, earned from a win in Vigo and losses to Barcelona both home and away. They aimed to correct their course against a tough opponent. For Atlético, this was another test in their quest to stay near the top of the table.
The Colchoneros had shown defensive solidity in their opening fixtures, an aspect Simeone wanted to maintain at a always difficult ground like San Mamés. Their offensive efficiency, with seven goals scored, was also a positive factor.
What's next for Atlético Madrid?
After the match in Bilbao, Atlético Madrid's schedule takes them to visit Real Sociedad at Anoeta on September 13th. This Basque derby presents a new challenge against a rival that, before that matchday, sits in eleventh place. Full details of the calendar are available on our fixtures page.
With the senior squad and the performance shown, the club's objective is to keep adding points to maintain contact with the leading positions. The match at San Mamés was another step on that path.
