RIYADH: After scoring the most important goal of his young career, Nico Williams received a long hug from veteran forward Inaki Williams, his older brother.

In the stands at the King Fahd Stadium in Saudi Arabia, his relatives also embraced each other, unable to hold back tears.

Nico Williams and his big brother quickly went toward the stands to meet them after the final whistle.

It was a big moment for the Williams family, as Nico’s goal secured a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Atletico Madrid on Thursday and sent Athletic Bilbao into their second consecutive Super Copa de Espana final.

“I went to meet my mom, she was very moved, and I was as well,” the 19-year-old Nico Williams said. “She said I deserved it, told me to keep working hard. The hug with my brother was unforgettable for both of us. We had always dreamed about this moment.”

Nico Williams scored Bilbao’s winner in the 81st after defender Yeray Alvarez had evened the match in the 77th. Atletico had taken the lead with an own-goal in the 62nd.

The Basque Country club will play Sunday’s decider against Real Madrid, who defeated Barcelona 3-2 in extra time Wednesday. Athletic won the title last year in a final against Barca in Sevilla.

It was yet another setback for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, who are enduring a poor run in La Liga and are unlikely to defend their title.

“We did not defend well, we have to work and get better,” Simeone told a news conference. “We believe in the work we do. We seek to improve. We have to improve... we are lacking the necessary aggressiveness.”

Nico Williams had scored his first two goals for Bilbao in a Copa del Rey match last week. He and his brother, who is 27, are the only Black players in the club that traditionally only signs athletes from the Basque Country region. They were born in Spain from Liberian parents who fled war in Africa in the 1990s.

After a slow-paced first period in the half-empty King Fahd stadium the teams woke up when Atletico went ahead just past the hour when a header from Joao Felix crashed off the post before being deflected into the goal via the back of keeper Unai Simon.

Bilbao equalised with another header from a corner as Alvarez found the net from close range before Nico Williams hit the winner, finding the net from a corner by captain Iker Munian — beating Renan Lodi and Atletico skipper Koke to the ball to head past Jan Oblak in goal.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2022