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The devilish speed of Nico Williams was one of the keys to Spain’s exhibition, more in the game than in the result, this Thursday in Gelsenkirchen (western Germany) where they beat Italy 1-0 and qualified for the round of 16 of the Euro Cup .
The 21-year-old left winger of Athletic Bilbao stood out in the second victory of the Spanish in group B of Euro 2024.
It was “my most complete game with the national team,” Nico highlighted during the post-match press conference.
Williams’ dribbles, changes of pace and speed were a martyrdom for the Italian defense, whose best news of the night was avoiding a rout against Luis de la Fuente’s men. They also made the 50,000 people who filled the Arena AufSchalke vibrate.
As expected, UEFA named Williams as best player of the match, whose older brother (Iñaki) and club teammate plays for the Ghana national team, his parents’ native country.
Discreet in the first game, the Athletic forward brought his marker, right-back Giovanni di Lorenzo, head-on, who had a fateful night.
The only goal of the match came from his wing. Williams crossed from the left, touched by Álvaro Morata and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma before the ball bounced off the leg of Italian centre-back Ricardo Calafiori, who scored an own goal.
Before that goal, the attacker had already created numerous chances throughout the match.
First, he went overboard and put the ball on Pedri’s head, with Donnarumma taking out a commendable mitt (2) and, then, he finished wide when he had the entire goal, also with his head (10).
Before being replaced, the crossbar spit out his blow (70).
“Today I felt incredible, when you go the first time you have more confidence to face the second time,” declared the Spanish winger.
“We had a great game. The team worked like animals. We already showed against Croatia that we wanted to do something great,” he added about the collective dimension of La Roja’s good game.
After a few early years in his career in which he was in the shadow of his brother Iñaki, 30, Nico is on his way to becoming one of the fashionable footballers in European football. He is already dreaming of joining one of the big clubs in this transfer market.
“I have always been the brother of and now I am making a name for myself,” said the youngest Williams at the beginning of April after shining in the Copa del Rey final, in which Athletic was proclaimed champion on penalties after tying ( 1-1) with Mallorca.
Born in Pamplona (northern Spain), Nico had already competed in his first major competition with La Roja in Qatar, home of the 2022 World Cup.
However, the young attacker was a substitute in the team then coached by Luis Enrique.
Luis de la Fuente, current coach, has decided to bet on Nico instead of Dani Olmo in one of the significant novelties of this Red.
With more vertical football than in other tournaments, Spain stands out for its two stilettos on the wings: Williams, on the left, and the very young Lamine Yamal, 16 years old, on the right.
“They have a gift from God, very few players have these qualities,” De la Fuente highlighted about the technique and the imbalance of the two extremes.
Known for their harmony both on and off the pitch, Williams and Yamal have brought freshness to Spain, which in just two games has presented its candidacy for the title in Germany.
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