Iñaki Williams went straight from eliminating Ghana from the Africa Cup of Nations to eliminating Barcelona from the Spanish Cup.
On Monday he was a substitute as Ghana failed to win their final group match and on Tuesday, as soon as their fate was sealed, he was on a plane back to Europe.
He landed in Paris at 6am on Wednesday, from where his club had a private jet waiting to take him to Bilbao – it was worth it.
With 107 minutes remaining of Athletic’s epic Copa del Rey quarter-final, he ran onto Asier Villalibre’s cross as a substitute. His first shot hit the post, but he turned the rebound over to give Athletic a 3-2 lead.
They set up the second half of extra time with Nico Williams, Iñaki’s brother, and added a fourth to eliminate Xavi’s Barcelona. This robbed him of his best chance to win the trophy he needs this season to keep his job until next year.
Inaki Williams returned from the Africa Cup of Nations to help dump Barcelona out of the cup
He was knocked out with Ghana, but returned to Athletic Bilbao and was back with a bang
The defeat, which finished 4-2, has increased the pressure on beleaguered Barcelona boss Xavi
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It ended badly for Barça; it also started badly. They were behind after just 35 seconds – incredible to think that twice before this season they had made an even worse start in counterbalanced matches after 17 seconds against Granada and 18 seconds against Alaves.
This was the fourth time they had conceded within the first two minutes in a match, and the ninth time they had been 1-0 down within twenty minutes. What does Xavi say to them before they take the field?
The goal came from a misunderstanding on the right side.
Jules Kounde wanted to overlap, Lamine Yamal wanted him to stay behind so he could give the ball back and Barcelona could rebuild from deeper.
As they both moved in different directions, Nico Williams cut inside and charged forward before feeding Gorka Guruzeta in the penalty area.
He played the ball back to Yuri Berchiche, whose cross was passed on to Malcom Adu by Oihan Sancet.
He dived for the loose ball and headed it back into the danger zone. Sancet fired the ball at goal and although Andreas Christensen blocked his ball, it went straight to Guruzeta, who curled the ball in from ten yards.
Things could have gotten worse for Barcelona in the fourth minute when Adu crossed and Guruzeta took his chance to make it 2-0 over the top.
Moments later it got even worse when Alejandro Balde went down with a hamstring injury and had to be helped off the field in tears. Hector Font, the 17-year-old, came on.
Robert Lewandowski leveled the Catalans after they had to concede early after a disastrous start
Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal was on the scoresheet to put Barcelona ahead
Barcelona president Joan Laporta (center) sat in the stands of San Mames to watch the match
Barcelona were sinking, but they floated back to the surface after 26 minutes when Ferran Torres came in from the left and played in Pedri.
As Athletic tried to scramble the ball clear, Yuri’s clearance hit Robert Lewandowski and went past Julen Agirrezabala for 1-1.
After happiness came genius. Yamal won’t be 17 until July next year, but he came in from the right, carried the ball menacingly across the pitch and fired an unstoppable shot with his left foot into the far corner.
Barcelona were in front and it was as if the spirit of the Athletic vs. Barça matches had just returned to haunt San Mames – Messi scored goals like this so often against them.
Barca now looked as brilliant in the build-up as they did at the back, but half-time broke the rhythm of Xavi’s team and they started the second period almost as poorly as the first.
Four minutes into Athletic were level, with Sancet heading in Nico Williams’ brilliant cross unmarked.
It was a dream start for Athletic Bilbao, who took the lead after 36 seconds through Gorka Guruzeta
Oihan Sancet then extended the match with his header, making the score 2-2
The mood changed after that and the hosts quickly took control against struggling Barça
On the hour mark it was Athletic’s other Williams’ turn.
The effect was not immediate. With Athletic mounting the pressure, there was space on the break and Yamal was away with only the goalkeeper to beat. Messi would have scored. He wasn’t quite the second coming and shot wide.
And if anyone doubted that, he did it again with five minutes to go, robbing Aitor Paredes but firing high and wide with the goal gaping – just 16 years old and 195 days, remember.
Joao Felix now replaced Lewandowski. It was the third game in a row in which the Polish attacker was eliminated. The substitution could not force a Barça winner and the match ended in extra time.
Athletic looked stronger in the first half of the extra 30 minutes. Yamal was shown a yellow card for pulling Nico’s shirt back as it was the only way to prevent him from sprinting clear. And no one could stop Iñaki when he got the dramatic winner.