Iñaki Williams, returning from Ghana’s early exit in the Africa Cup of Nations, made an immediate impact by scoring in extra time to lead Athletic Bilbao to a stunning 4-2 victory over Barcelona, securing a spot in the Copa del Rey semifinals.

Coming off the bench in the 59th minute, just two days after Ghana’s final match in Ivory Coast, Williams netted in the 107th minute, capitalizing on the rebound of his own shot against the post. His younger brother, Nico Williams, sealed the victory in stoppage time, propelling Athletic to the semifinals for the fifth consecutive season.

This defeat marked another setback for Barcelona, aiming for a consecutive Copa semifinal appearance, having previously missed a title opportunity with a 4-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final earlier in the year.

Notably, Athletic had eliminated Barcelona in extra time during the Copa round of 16 in 2022. Despite finishing as runner-up in 2019-20 and 2020-21, and facing semifinal exits in the last two seasons, Athletic now eyes the opportunity to claim Copa del Rey glory, with their last triumph dating back to 1984.

Williams, who started on the bench due to his recent return to Spain, expressed his delight at the unexpected turn of events, stating, “Not even in the best of my dreams I could have imagined this. Everything turned out perfect. Yesterday I didn’t imagine being here after a tough blow (with Ghana).”