Champions League preview: Athletic Club vs Arsenal 

Arsenal start their Champions League campaign with a tough clash in Basque County vs Athletic Bilbao at the passionate San Mames - by Nick Manfredi 

Arsenal begin the long, cobbled road to Budapest in the Basque country against one of Spain’s most historic clubs in Athletic Bilbao. 

Last season’s Champions League campaign produced some truly euphoric memories before it all came crashing down on an unforgiving early summer’s evening in Paris. After that magical night in Madrid, I don’t think I’m alone in thinking this would finally be our year.

Sadly, due to our ridiculously bad luck with injuries and Donnarumma's string of remarkable saves it wasn’t to be. but given our unprecedented summer of spending perhaps this year we will finally get our hands on the trophy that has always found a way of eluding us and instead finding the hands of some less deserving entities shall we say. 

We will be up against a top-quality side in Bilbao. They finished fourth in La Liga last season and reached the semi-finals of the Europa League, so they are not without pedigree.

They did lose 1-0 to Alaves on the weekend after beginning the season with three straight victories although you would expect them to be right in the mix for the European spots again this year. Outside of Spain’s big two, Barca and Real, Athletic are one of Spain’s most successful clubs.

They have won the league eight times which is only bettered by Barca and the two Madrid clubs. They’ve also won the Copa Del Ray 24 times which is only bettered by Barcelona. They ended a 40 year wait for glory in that competition in 2024 beating Mallorca 4-2 in the final. 

Bilbao are probably most famous for their policy of only signing players from the Basque region, a tradition which is controversially not shared by their fierce Basque rivals Real Sociedad.

This is a club who is fiercely proud of their heritage and their methods of preserving it and rightly so. Arsenal can expect a raucous atmosphere inside San Mames which will be a cauldron of noise come Tuesday evening. Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino can expect a particularly frosty reception given their Sociedad roots. 

Arsenal have never played Athletic Bilbao in a competitive fixture, but you will remember our Emirates Cup meeting last month in which we ran out comfortable 3-0 winners. I think we can expect a far sterner test this time round. Away tickets for this game went all the way down to Red Members so if this is your first time following The Arsenal abroad, enjoy the trip and take it all in.

There is nothing like following your team abroad. 

In regard to team news, Ben White reportedly hasn’t trained and so he is a doubt for the game. Odegaard will surely miss out with another shoulder problem so we may see Nwaneri get his first start of the campaign or perhaps Eze will be given a more central role.

And hopefully we will get a first look at Piero Hincapie who was an unused sub on Saturday. Enjoy the game Gooners from wherever you may be watching.