COLUMN: Why Dani Vivian symbolises Valverde’s all-conquering Athletic Club

Picture Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic in your mind, and the images will more than likely zero in on something occurring in the opposition half. The asphyxiating pressure from the front two and wingers, the searing speed in transition, and that forward inertia that never quite seems to fade. This Athletic side – in this form – play in the opposition half, whether they have the ball or not.

That sense-shattering inertia – which ran through another opponent at the weekend – is primarily and rightly attributed to the likes of Inaki and Nico Williams. While the former is playing the best football of his career and finally settled into a permanent role, his younger brother Nico is looking increasingly ahead of schedule in a career of infinite promise. What was once a novelty in that two siblings would share the pitch together is now a crucial part of the team’s framework, and one through which Valverde’s side have become capable of steamrolling much of what stands before them.

A team that plays with the collective force that Athletic do, however, can’t only be achieved by having a menacing front line. To explain why they’re playing in such vintage Athletic fashion, it’s just as fair to start from the back as it is to put the game-changers up top between the crosshairs. Los Leones go through teams from the front, but the force is often channelled from behind.