The solutions to the problems with Athletic’s goal bear the ‘made in Lezama’ stamp at this start of 2022. Some young footballers trained in the red and white youth academy have begun to gain prominence against rival teams. Nico Serrano, only 18 years old, is the latest to join the list.
Marcelino’s team has been able to culminate the always charged and dangerous slope of January with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Results rule and the lions have only lost one of their seven games in this first month of the new year. The defeat, yes, came at the crossroads that could have meant a new title for the showcases of the San Mamés Museum. Real Madrid did not forgive in the final of the Riyadh Super Cup (0-2).
Three days earlier, however, Nico Williams had become one of the new Atletico heroes by scoring the comeback goal against Atlético in the semi-final and the added elimination of the mattresses. That goal in Saudi Arabia was not, however, the first for the youngest of the two brothers who this season are in Athletic’s attack. Three days earlier, Williams II had sealed the classification of the lions for the round of 16 of the Cup with his two goals in Jaén against Mancha Real.
This global record of three goals for the 19-year-old footballer from Navarra had previously been established by his teammate Sancet, but in the same game. The tall forward of the Bilbao team scored a hat trick in the competitive debut of 2022 on the occasion of the visit of the lions to El Sadar. Athletic started the new year in this way with a victory away from San Mamés (1-3).
Yeray, for his part, joined the festival of Marcelino’s team by scoring a header that allowed the lions to provisionally tie the semifinal of the Super Cup against the colchoneros. Nico Williams then signed the somersault of the troop directed by Marcelino. Of the first seven Athletic goals this year, six were signed by two puppies born from the year 2000 onwards.
The contribution of veterans
The lions, who in addition to the Super Cup final also failed to see the rival goal against Alavés in Mendizorrotza, once again scored three goals in the same game in the round of 16 tie against Barça. The targets on this occasion were in charge of two illustrious ‘veterans’. Muniain signed the first and the third, this one from a penalty, and Iñigo Martínez the second.
The captain of the Bilbao team was unable to appear last Sunday against Rayo, having tested positive for coronavirus a day earlier. The international centre-back was in the game, although on this occasion the defensive work was gradually accumulating.
Nico Serrano, one of Marcelino’s surprises in the starting eleven against Iraola’s men, was this time in charge of assuming the leading role as director. A somewhat trademark of the house of a boy of only 18 years. Loose ball in the area, control on the fly and an impressive cross shot with the left foot to the bottom of the goal defended by Luca Zidane.
The trajectory in the subsidiary
Vallecas’s was the Navarrese’s first goal in the First Division, but before that he had already scored another three with Bilbao Athletic in the First RFEF. The same as last season under Etxebe’s orders.
Juan Artola, another of the puppies present in Vallecas, entered Marcelino’s list despite having played the day before against Extremadura, but he watched the duel against Iraola’s from the bench. He leads the list of scorers for the subsidiary with four goals and last season he was the top scorer with ten, one more than Nico Williams