This Wednesday, December 10th, Paris Saint-Germain (2nd) faces Athletic Bilbao (27th) at the San Mamés Stadium (kick-off at 9 pm, CET) for Matchday 6 of the 2025-2026 Champions League. And as before every match, here is a preview of PSG’s opponent.
Athletic Bilbao’s situation –
This is a very special and historic club. Founded in 1898 by English workers and students, hence “Athletic” in Spain, this club, focused on its local strength, has long distinguished itself in modern football with recruitment based first on its youth academy, then on its region. While a little more open in recent years, Los Leones still have a squad that is almost entirely Spanish (as is the coaching staff).
It’s also one of the few clubs to have never been relegated to the second division. And while the club has been known primarily for its midfield in recent years, with some highs, like last season’s Champions League qualification, and some lows, it’s also a club with a rich history: 8 Spanish league titles (the last in 1984) and 24 Copa del Rey trophies (the last in 2024), among others.
Today, Bilbao is 27th in the Champions League and 7th in La Liga.
Summer 2025 Transfer Window –
Source: Transfermarkt.
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key Statistics –
This season, Athletic Bilbao is among the top 31 attacks in the Champions League with 4 goals scored (the best, PSG, has 19, and the worst, Ajax Amsterdam, has 1), and is among the top 20 defenses with 9 goals conceded (Arsenal has the best defense with 1 goal conceded, the worst, Ajax Amsterdam, has 16).
The Spanish club’s top scorer is Gorka Guruzeta (30 years old), with 3 goals, ranking him among the top 11 in the Champions League (the top scorer is Kylian Mbappé with 9 goals). The top assist provider for the Lionesses is Mikel Jauregizar with 2 assists, ranking him among the top 10 (the top assist provider is Christos Tzoli of Club Brugge with 5 assists).
Bilbao’s last 5 matches – 2 matches
Only Bilbao’s possession is shown, and Bilbao’s shots are listed first (when data is available).
November 22, 2025 (Liga) – Barcelona/Athletic Bilbao: 4-0. Playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation. 32% possession. 10 shots, 2 on target, compared to 18 shots (7 on target) for Bilbao.
November 25, 2025 (Champions League) – Slavia Prague/Athletic Bilbao: 0-0. Playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation. 48% possession. 8 shots, 4 on target, compared to 5 shots (2 on target) for Bilbao.
November 29, 2025 (Liga) – Levante/Athletic Bilbao: 0-2. Playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation. 44% possession. 10 shots, 3 on target, vs. 9 shots (4 on target).
03/12/2025 (Liga) – Athletic Bilbao/Real Madrid: 0-3. En4-2-3-1. 42% possession. 7 shots including 4 on target against 10 shots (8 on target).
06/12/2025 (Liga) – Athletic Bilbao/Atlético Madrid: 0-2. In 4-2-3-1. 48% possession. 11 shots including 5 on target versus 9 shots (2 on target).
The Squad:
Unavailable – Alvarez, Paredes (suspension), Egiluz, Laporte, Navarro, Sannadi, Prados (injury),
The probable lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Guruzeta
N. Williams – Sancet – Berenguer
Jauregizar – Ruiz de Galarreta
Boiro – Berchiche – Vivian – Areso
Simon
Athletic Bilbao’s playing style.
Bilbao prefers to play the game primarily in the opponent’s half, but without necessarily prioritizing possession. Their approach is more about intense pressing to quickly create opportunities for crosses or shots, sometimes even playing the offside trap very high up the pitch. The Basque team can also adapt, remaining consistently aggressive. Clearly, PSG will need to inject pace and quality into their play to avoid falling into the trap.
