Athletic Bilbao annihilate Atletico Madrid to reach Copa del Rey final

The Williams siblings guided Athletic Club to a resounding 3-0 victory in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Atlético Madrid. As the second most successful team in the competition's history, they have now secured a place in the final against RCD Mallorca, aiming to claim their 24th triumph.

After securing a 1-0 victory at the Wanda Metropolitano, Athletic wasted no time in extending their lead in the aggregate scoreline, courtesy of a moment of remarkable understanding between the Williams brothers.

Nico Williams delivered a perfectly lofted cross to the far post, where his brother Iñaki Williams expertly volleyed the ball into the back of the net, igniting an already passionate San Mamés crowd with sheer jubilation.

In a display of reciprocity, Iñaki attempted to return the favor by sending a low cross towards Nico, but unfortunately, the 21-year-old narrowly missed the target, leaving Jan Oblak's goal unscathed.

However, it was only a matter of time before the Williams brothers combined once again to effectively extinguish Atleti's hopes of progressing in the cup before halftime. Iñaki skillfully maneuvered towards the byline, delivering a precise ball back to Nico, who calmly guided it past Oblak, securing his sixth goal of the season.

Even after an extended halftime break due to a medical emergency in the crowd, Los Leones continued to dominate the game. Oihan Sancet had an opportunity to add his name to the scoresheet but disappointingly fired over the crossbar after being set up by Nico.

With no signs of improvement, Atletico's manager, Diego Simeone, made a triple substitution just nine minutes into the second half, introducing Memphis Depay, Reinildo Mandava, and Pablo Barrios.

However, these changes failed to yield the desired impact as Athletic's relentless performance resulted in another goal just after the hour mark. Oblak could only parry Sancet's shot, allowing Gorka Guruzeta to calmly roll the ball into the net.

Although the victory was secured, Julen Agirrezabala had to make a couple of impressive saves to deny Memphis Depay and Rodrigo Riquelme, ensuring his fifth clean sheet in Athletic's Copa del Rey campaign.

While Atleti's dreams of cup glory have been shattered, Los Leones find themselves just one game away from lifting the trophy for the first time in four decades.