Athletic Bilbao and Arsenal Clash in Champions League Opener

The prestigious Champions League returns with an intriguing encounter as Athletic Bilbao welcomes Arsenal to the iconic San Mames stadium on September 16, 2025. This first-round fixture, scheduled to kick off at 17:45, will be officiated by Lithuanian referee Donatas Rumsas. Both teams enter the competition with high expectations, as the Basque side aims to make their mark in Europe's elite tournament while Arsenal looks to build on their recent European campaigns and establish themselves as serious contenders.

As the Champions League group stage begins, Athletic Bilbao enters the competition positioned fourth in their qualification group, while Arsenal comes in as the second-placed qualifier. Both teams start with clean slates in the tournament proper, with no points accumulated yet in this season's Champions League campaign. The opening match will be crucial for both sides to establish early momentum in a competition where every point can prove decisive for advancement to the knockout stages. A positive result would provide either team with a significant psychological boost as they navigate the challenging group phase ahead.

Athletic Bilbao enters this Champions League fixture with mixed recent form, having suffered back-to-back defeats in their last two outings. They fell to Deportivo Alaves (0:1) on September 13 and lost to Osasuna (0:1) in a friendly on September 4. However, prior to these setbacks, the Basque side had shown excellent form with three consecutive victories, defeating Real Betis (1:2) on August 31, Rayo Vallecano (1:0) on August 25, and Sevilla (3:2) on August 17 in LaLiga. Arsenal, meanwhile, comes into this match with strong momentum, having convincingly beaten Nottingham Forest (3:0) on September 13 in the Premier League. Their only recent blemish was a narrow loss to Liverpool (1:0) on August 31, which was preceded by impressive victories against Leeds United (5:0) on August 23 and Manchester United (0:1) on August 17.

Ernesto Valverde's Athletic Bilbao is expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Unai Simon in goal. The defense should feature Jesus Areso, Daniel Vivian, Aitor Paredes, and Yuri Berchiche, while the midfield will likely be anchored by Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta and Mikel Jauregizar. The attacking midfield trio is expected to consist of Alex Berenguer, Oihan Sancet, and Inaki Williams, with Maroan Sannadi leading the line. Notably, Athletic will be missing the dynamic Nico Williams and Benat Prados through injury, with Inigo Lekue listed as doubtful. Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, is anticipated to deploy a 4-3-3 system with David Raya between the posts. The defense should comprise Jurrien Timber, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel, and young talent Myles Lewis-Skelly. The midfield trio is likely to feature Spanish internationals Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi alongside Declan Rice, while the attack should see Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze flanking striker Viktor Gyoekeres. The Gunners are dealing with significant injury concerns, missing key players Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Kai Havertz, with William Saliba, Ben White, and Christian Noergaard all doubtful.