Inaki Williams Scores Fifth Europa League Goal, But Bilbao Fall to Roma in First Leg

Ghanaian international Inaki Williams continued his strong form in the UEFA Europa League, scoring his fifth goal of the competition for Athletic Bilbao.

However, his goal was not enough to prevent his team from slipping to a 2-1 defeat against AS Roma in the first leg of their round of 16 knockout tie.

Williams’ header in the 50th minute briefly put Bilbao in front, but Roma responded with goals from Angeliño and Eldor Shomurodov to take a crucial lead ahead of the second leg, which will take place at San Mamés next Thursday.

Despite a solid start by Bilbao, who kept Roma at bay in the first half, the game changed early in the second half when Williams capitalized on a well-delivered cross to score.

The goal, which silenced the home crowd at the Stadio Olimpico, was a landmark moment for the Ghanaian striker.

With five goals in the competition, Williams became the third top European scorer in Bilbao’s history, only behind club legends Aritz Aduriz and Fernando Llorente.

The Basque side had entered the tie with optimism, finishing second in their group stage, just behind Lazio on goal difference.

They were slight favorites to progress in the two-legged tie, especially after controlling most of the first half.

However, Roma’s equalizer came swiftly after Williams’ goal. Angeliño struck in the 56th minute to bring the game level.

With Bilbao trying to regain their composure, the match took another twist when Yeray Álvarez was sent off with a second yellow card, leaving Bilbao with 10 men for the remaining minutes.

Roma, capitalizing on the numerical advantage, secured the win in dramatic fashion when Shomurodov scored in injury time to give the Italian side a 2-1 victory.

The defeat leaves Bilbao with a tough task ahead in the second leg, but with Williams’ continued brilliance, the tie is far from over