Athletic Bilbao Matches Unwanted Defensive Record After 3-1 Home Loss to Sevilla in La Liga Opener
Athletic Bilbao stumbled in their first La Liga match of the season, losing 3-1 at home to Sevilla. The game took a bad turn early when defender Yuri Berchiche was shown a straight red card just 11 minutes into the match. Playing nearly the entire game with ten men, Edin Terzic's squad found it difficult to stop Sevilla’s persistent attacks.
Defensive Struggles Resurface
This defeat means Athletic have already matched a disappointing defensive record from last season. Previously, they only conceded three goals at home once, during a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid. Now, Sevilla managed to score three times against goalkeeper Unai Simón through goals by Oso, Chidera Ejuke, and Isaac Romero.
Errors played a major role in the outcome. Aitor Paredes conceded a critical chance, Simón lost concentration leading to the opener, and Jesus Areso’s unfortunate backheel allowed the third goal. Terzic now faces pressure to rebuild the solid defense that earned Simón the Zamora Trophy in 2023-24 and helped concede the fewest goals in 2024-25.
Ongoing Defensive Worries
The early setback reflects the defensive problems that troubled Athletic throughout the 2025-26 campaign, when they let in 58 goals—the fifth worst in La Liga. Although Paredes scored a consolation goal in the second half, the damage was already done. Terzic must quickly fix these defensive weaknesses if Athletic are to regain the resilience that once made San Mamés difficult for opponents.
Next Challenge: A Difficult Trip to Barcelona
The test won’t get easier soon as Athletic face a tough away match against Barcelona on Thursday. Barcelona come off a confident 5-0 win over Elche in their opener, boasting an attack led by Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Dani Olmo that averaged 2.5 goals per game last season. With Athletic having kept very few clean sheets last year, Terzic’s currently weakened side confronts a huge challenge to stop their early momentum slide.
- Match: Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao
- Date: 27 Aug 2026
- Time: 21:00
- Next La Liga Match: Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla
- Date: 29 Aug 2026
- Time: 21:30
