Athletic Club vs Arsenal prediction 16.09.2025 | UEFA Champions League
Athletic Bilbao
Kick off:
Date:
Arsenal
1
4.50
X
3.50
2
1.84
Contents
- Competition: UEFA Champions League
- Date: 16th September, 2025
- Kickoff: 17:45 UK / 18:45 CEST
- Venue: San Mames
Last season’s semi-finalists Arsenal begin their UEFA Champions League group stage campaign in the Basque Country, where they will face Athletic Club at San Mamés. The Lions are making their return to Europe’s elite competition after an 11-year absence since their last appearance in 2014/15, while Arsenal have their sights set on a deep run, aiming to go one step further after reaching the semi-finals last season.
Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
Arsenal
3 : 0
Athletic Bilbao
Emirates Cup
This will be the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides. The only prior encounter came in a non-competitive setting at the Emirates Cup this summer, where Arsenal ran out convincing 3-0 winners.
Athletic Club team overview
Before the international break, Athletic Club made a flying start to the 2025/26 La Liga campaign, recording three consecutive victories against Sevilla, Rayo Vallecano and Real Betis, averaging two goals per game. However, they suffered their first defeat of the season at the weekend, failing to score in a 1-0 loss to Alavés. Despite that setback, they remain in a strong position domestically and will be eager to give Arsenal a real test on Tuesday.
Nico Williams sustained a muscle injury while on international duty and missed the Alavés match, leaving his availability for this fixture in doubt.
Last matches of Athletic Bilbao
-
Athletic Bilbao
0 : 1
Alaves
La Liga
-
Real Betis
1 : 2
Athletic Bilbao
La Liga
-
Athletic Bilbao
1 : 0
Rayo Vallecano
La Liga
-
Arsenal
3 : 0
Athletic Bilbao
Emirates Cup
-
Liverpool
4 : 1
Athletic Bilbao
Club Friendlies 1
Athletic Bilbao lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Unai Simón
Defenders
-
12
Jesús Areso
-
3
Daniel Vivian
-
4
Aitor Paredes
-
17
Yuri Berchiche
Midfielders
-
16
Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta
-
18
Mikel Jauregizar
-
8
Oihan Sancet
-
9
Iñaki Williams
-
7
Álex Berenguer
Forwards
-
11
Gorka Guruzeta
Arsenal team overview
Arsenal have carried their strong form from last season into the 2025/26 campaign. They currently sit second in the Premier League table with nine points from four matches. After a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool before the break, Mikel Arteta’s men responded with a dominant 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend. In last season’s group stage, the Gunners were almost flawless, suffering only one defeat while collecting six wins and a draw, a record that will give them confidence heading into this opener.
Bukayo Saka remains sidelined with a hamstring injury and will not feature. Adding to Arsenal’s concerns, captain Martin Ødegaard picked up a knock at the weekend and was forced off in the 18th minute against Forest, making him highly doubtful for Tuesday’s clash.
Last matches of Arsenal
-
Arsenal
3 : 0
Nottingham Forest
Premier League
-
Liverpool
1 : 0
Arsenal
Premier League
-
Arsenal
5 : 0
Leeds United
Premier League
-
Arsenal
3 : 0
Athletic Bilbao
Emirates Cup
-
Arsenal
2 : 3
Villarreal
Club Friendlies 1
Arsenal lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
David Raya
Defenders
-
12
Jurriën Timber
-
3
Cristhian Mosquera
-
6
Gabriel Magalhães
-
33
Riccardo Calafiori
Midfielders
-
18
Martín Zubimendi
-
23
Mikel Merino
-
22
Ethan Nwaneri
Forwards
-
10
Eberechi Eze
-
20
Noni Madueke
-
14
Viktor Gyökeres
Prediction
San Mamés is a fortress for the Athletic Club. They have already won two of their three home matches this La Liga season and lost just twice on their own turf throughout the entire 2024/25 campaign (11W, 6D, 2L). Breaking down Arsenal’s defence, however, will be a tough task. The Gunners have conceded just once in their four Premier League games so far, with Liverpool the only side to breach David Raya’s goal. On the flip side, Arsenal’s away record in last season’s UCL group stage was not perfect—they lost once, drew once, and conceded three goals across four games.
Arsenal remain favourites given their quality and experience, but Athletic’s home advantage should not be underestimated. Expect a tightly contested match, with both teams likely to find the net. Prediction: BTTS in a narrow Arsenal win.
Three reasons we expect BTTS
- Athletic Club have won three of their four La Liga matches this season and currently sit third in the table.
- Arsenal have also won three of their four league games, scoring a total of nine goals.
- During the 2024/25 La Liga campaign, Athletic Club suffered only two home defeats.
Main prediction Athletic Bilbao - Arsenal
Both Teams to Score
Best Odds:
Megapari
1.84
Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal standings in Champions League
| League Stage | P | W | D | L |
G - A
|
GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | FC Bayern München | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Paris Saint Germain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Inter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Borussia Dortmund | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | FC Barcelona | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Atlético Madrid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Benfica | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Villarreal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Arsenal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Atalanta | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Juventus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Club Brugge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | PSV | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Ajax | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Napoli | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Sporting CP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Slavia Praha | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Olympique Marseille | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Olympiacos F.C. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | FC København | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Monaco | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Bodø / Glimt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Galatasaray | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Union Saint-Gilloise | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Qarabağ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Newcastle United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Athletic Club | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Paphos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Kairat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |