Athletic Bilbao secured their much-needed victory over Almería in a thrilling set piece affair at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday evening.

The Basque club had been struggling to find their rhythm and were trailing 1-0 at half-time after a goal from Almería's Ángel Correa. However, they quickly came back into contention in the second half as substitute Lucas Pérez converted a penalty kick for Athletic.

The decisive moment arrived when Almería goalkeeper Diego Sánchez was caught off his line following a corner kick. The ball deflected off his shin and fell to Pérez, who expertly controlled it before slotting it past Sánchez to put Athletic ahead.

This set piece victory lifted Athletic's morale significantly and gave them hope of breaking through their current winless run. The result also boosted the confidence of manager Unai Emery, who had previously struggled to find a way out of the group stage.

Almería, meanwhile, suffered a setback that could potentially impact their qualification hopes. They now face a difficult away trip to Real Madrid next week, which will be crucial if they want to remain in the race for European football.

The match was marked by some high-intensity action and several near-misses, but Athletic's ability to convert set pieces proved to be their undoing for Almería. The victory not only lifts Athletic's spirits but also gives them more momentum as they look to continue their impressive start to the season.