Three days after reaching the Copa del Rey Final, Athletic beats Real Madrid!

My thoughts on the game:

-First of all, we have a team of warriors. Every single one of 14 players that played today looked motivated and eager to fight for every ball. Most of the players were tired after playing an intense semifinal against Espanyol, but they still managed to keep the fire in their bellies and their tactical discipline. Tactical discipline is one of the first things that goes away when players are exhausted, but today the team was nearly flawless. Valverde did a fantastic job.

-The defence looks more solid when Etxeita is there. He is so calm and composed, good at intercepting balls, and almost unbeatable one-on-one. He's having a much better season than Laporte.

-Beñat has been much better since he was allowed to go back to his natural position: deep-lying playmaker. When Ander left Beñat seemed to be the obvious choice to replace him as Athletic attacking midfielder, a number 10, so to say. Our record in the first half of the season show how ineffective he was at that position. Valverde realized that Beñat was simply being misused and moved him back to his position. Muniain, Guillermo, and more recently, Iñaki Williams, who plays as a "false 10", have been more successful at supporting runs, dragging defenders away from Aduriz, and scoring goals than Beñat could ever be. But he has been amazing at what he does best. Today he recovered fifteen balls, and was the player through which all attacking plays started. He has great passing range and creativity, and being further back in the pitch gives him more passing options. Today he was excellent. I'm happy to have him back.

-Iñaki Williams has a great future ahead of him. He's quick and smart, but he lacks a bit of experience. He made some rookie mistakes. His passing needs to improve. But it's also true that he's being played in a new position, and he was literally playing in the third division a couple of months ago. Nevertheless, his passion, speed, and work-rate are great. He's becoming a fundamental part of the team and a player who could be here for the next decade. San Mames gave him a well-deserved standing ovation when he came off the pitch.

-It was a fantastic win to cap off a fantastic week.That's three straight league wins, and suddenly finishing 7th doesn't seem out of the question.

-Next game is at Celta. We can win there.

AUPA ATHLETIC!

/r/AthleticClub Thread Link - videa.hu