Terzic’s electric Athletic overwhelm naive Atlético in three minutes

Two restarts, two goals conceded. Atlético Madrid’s disastrous opening three minutes after halftime turned an otherwise acceptable performance into its first defeat of the season at a fervent San Mamés.

Athletic Bilbao’s momentum under Edin Terzic burst into life with Nico Williams’ header and Robert Navarro’s curling finish. Navarro spun Alejandro Grimaldo with a sharp cut before finding the corner. Oihan Sancet sealed the result in the 89th minute with the kind of late run that has become his trademark.

The damage began with two Atlético mistakes. Morten Hjulmand was soft in a challenge near the touchline, while Giuliano Simeone lost the ball in a pass. Athletic transformed both errors into rapid moves from left to right that tore through Atlético’s midfield and defence.

The two teams had produced a competitive first half. Athletic survived dangerous Atlético attacks, including a powerful Lee Kang-In shot that struck the inside of the post and a central strike from Álex Baena that tested Unai Simón. Atlético were held together by Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill and Hjulmand, while Sancet, Beñat Gerenabarrena, Ruiz de Galarreta and Navarro helped Athletic grow into the match.

The intensity remained high, with both sides pressing forward and the referee allowing physical challenges. But the game’s pace exceeded its precision, especially in the final third. Athletic eventually punished Atlético’s costly lapses, then finished the match with Sancet’s late goal after Julián Álvarez had entered the field.