Ghanaian forward Inaki Williams delivered a standout performance on Sunday night, providing three assists in Athletic Bilbao’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Las Palmas in La Liga.
Williams’ impressive display came right after his return from international duty with the Black Stars.
The 29-year-old set up Oihan Sancet for the opening goal just seven minutes into the match, with Sancet calmly finishing from Williams’ well-timed pass. Twenty-three minutes later, Inaki combined with his younger brother, Nico Williams, who curled a beautiful shot past the Las Palmas goalkeeper to extend Bilbao’s lead.
In the second half, Williams completed his trio of assists in the 75th minute, cushioning a pass to Aitor Paredes, who slotted home to make it 3-1 after Las Palmas’ Sandro Ramirez had earlier pulled a goal back. Las Palmas managed another goal in the 83rd minute, but Bilbao held on to secure the win.
With his three assists, Inaki Williams became the first Athletic Bilbao player to achieve an assist hat-trick in a league match since Fran Yeste did so against Real Betis in 2005. This performance also equals his entire assist tally from the previous season.
Inaki’s contributions were vital to Bilbao’s win, further cementing his importance to the Basque side this season.