Nico Williams returned home injured after his time with the Spanish team. Bad news for Valverde. The Athletic coach was left without one of his most important parts of the offensive on the eve of the restart of domestic competition.
All pointed to it being a happy night for the Red winger. De la Fuente, unlike the previous clash against Georgia, chose the youngest Williams to form the starting eleven against Malta in Los Cármenes, Granada. The Athletic striker started near the left wing.
Nico made it clear from the 3rd minute of the game that he will be a real nightmare for the visiting defense, especially for his right-back. The Navarrese, overflowing with both speed and skill, began to create danger and chances around the rival goal. His contribution on an offensive level also came from set-piece actions by being a corner taker on both sides.
The attacking persistence of little Williams began to pay off when, after a long pass from Gayà, he arrived just in time to retrieve the ball before it left the baseline and cross it with his left foot for Gavi, coming from rear , then almost happily. 18th minute of the game.
After ten minutes, Nico himself stood alone against the Cypriot goalkeeper, but he successfully cleared the ball from his frame with his hand. It won’t take long for the Navarrese winger to act. This time he warmed the ball with his right boot so that Merino, who was running, finished with a header into the back of the net.
As the game settled in, Spain’s offensive prominence began to shift to the right from the left wing. with Lamine Yamal ‘on fire’. However, near halftime, Nico Williams began to notice discomfort in the groin area of his right leg. After trying to resume play, the red and white ended up on the grass and asked for a substitution due to a possible adductor injury.
Unai Simón and Iñaki Williams
Unai Simón, for his part, completed the entire match for Spain against Cyprus. A very comfortable match for the Athletic goalkeeper, as he hardly had to intervene. His first appearance in the match came in the 72nd minute when an opponent shot at his hands. First and last night.
Iñaki Williams, for his part, returned from his tour with Ghana without having a few minutes yesterday against Liberia.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
