Nico Williams has finally arrived in Barcelona, but not in the way that fans had expected. The Athletic Club striker was the centre of attention at the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic even before the match between the Catalan team and Ernesto Valverde's team started. The Navarrese was closely watched from the moment he set foot in Barcelona and before the match, he was seen enjoying himself with his friends, and rivals for this encounter, Lamine Yamal, Fermín, Gavi and Baldé.
However, the reception from the fans was not what he expected. And a large part of the Blaugrana team's supporters have expressed their discontent by booing him every time he touched the ball. This is a result of his decision not to sign for Barcelona this summer. Part of the crowd decided to boo him, out of frustration at not being able to have one of the best players in Spain in their ranks, despite the fact that the Blaugrana board did everything possible to be able to integrate him into Hansi Flick's team.
Despite this, Williams played a good first half, being involved and sending shots into the area at every opportunity he had. He also participated in the play that led to the penalty and subsequent equaliser for Athletic, although he had to watch from afar the celebration of his friends, Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Baldé, who had fun taking out 'the forbidden ones' when the 17-year-old forward put Barça ahead. An image that he could have starred in if the right circumstances had occurred.
Williams did not shine in the second half
Like the boos, Williams went from more to less in the second half. The public continued to express their discontent, but the intensity was increasingly lost. The winner of the Eurocup had more desire than success in the last 45 minutes of the match. Koundé cancelled out the striker and he could not shine in front of what could have been his fans had he decided to take another direction in his career.
Without a doubt, it was a game to forget for the Bilbao player, who did not have a good time in Barcelona, not only because of the discontent against him, but also because of the 1-2 loss to the Catalan club. Fortunately for him, he will not have to face the Blaugrana team again until January 2025, when both clubs will face each other again in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup.