Athletic Club - Sevilla FC: league opener at San Mamés with different starting points
Athletic Club and Sevilla FC meet in the second round of LaLiga at San Mamés in Bilbao on 22 August at 17:00. For the home side, it will be the first league match of the new season under Edin Terzić, while Sevilla arrive in the Basque Country with three points already secured after a dramatic 2:1 victory over Rayo Vallecano.
That schedule immediately gives the match an intriguing dynamic. Athletic still have to show what Terzić's football will look like when points are at stake, following a pre-season period that ended with defeats against Olympique Marseille and Atalanta. Sevilla, on the other hand, have already passed their first competitive test and came away with a victory despite conceding an early goal and finishing the match with ten men.
For both teams, this is an important early indicator of the direction of the season. Athletic want to turn home advantage into a solid starting point after the change of coach, while Sevilla have the chance to put together two victories before the fixture list becomes even more demanding.
Tickets for this match are in high demand among supporters, especially because it is Athletic's first league appearance in front of the crowd at San Mamés this season.
Athletic enter a new era with Edin Terzić
The change on the bench is one of the main stories surrounding the home team. Edin Terzić took over Athletic after the end of Ernesto Valverde's tenure, and the pre-season matches served to get to know the squad and test different combinations.
The start of pre-season brought convincing results against weaker opponents. Athletic beat CD Derio 3:0, SD Leioa as much as 11:0 and Sestao River 2:0. The match against SD Eibar ended 2:2, followed by a 3:0 victory over Racing Club de Santander. As the quality of the opposition increased, the results became less pleasant: Olympique Marseille beat Athletic 3:1, and Atalanta won 1:0 in the final test before the start of the league season.
The match in Bergamo is particularly interesting for assessing Terzić's initial hierarchy. From the first minute, Unai Simón, Jesús Areso, Yeray Álvarez, Aitor Paredes, Yuri Berchiche, Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Beñat Gerenabarrena, Iñaki Williams, Oihan Sancet, Álex Berenguer and Maroan played. Atalanta won with a goal immediately after the break, but Athletic played much of the first half solidly and allowed few chances.
That is more important than the result of the friendly itself. Ahead of Sevilla, Terzić already has a core around which he can build the team, while the real answer to how much Athletic have changed will only come once league points are at stake.
Players worth watching
Oihan Sancet remains one of the players capable of changing the rhythm of the match between the opposition lines. During pre-season he scored against CD Derio and Racing, and he also found the net in the defeat to Marseille. Iñaki Williams gives Athletic pace and the ability to attack space, while Gorka Guruzeta also showed his goalscoring qualities during pre-season, including a hat-trick against SD Leioa and a goal against SD Eibar.
In midfield, the control provided by Ruiz de Galarreta and the work of the players around him will be important. Against a team that showed in the opening round that it can stay in the game even when things go badly, Athletic will have to pay particular attention to turnovers during the build-up phase.
Terzić also has an interesting decision to make on the flanks. Areso and Yuri started against Atalanta, and their forward movement can give the home side width. At the same time, every high position taken by the full-backs opens space for Sevilla's quick transitions.
Sevilla arrive with three points and a very clear warning
Sevilla opened the season with a 2:1 victory over Rayo Vallecano at Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. The result looks ideal, but the manner in which it was achieved gives Luis García Plaza plenty to work on before the trip to Bilbao.
Rayo took the lead as early as the 3rd minute after a misunderstanding between Arouna Sangante and Odysseas Vlachodimos. Sevilla spent a long time trying to regain control, and the turnaround only came in the second half. Jon Guridi equalised from the penalty spot, while Peque and Robbie Ure brought more energy to the attack after coming off the bench.
The situation became even more complicated late on when Kike Salas was shown a straight red card. Despite being a man down, Sevilla continued to search for victory. In stoppage time, Ure won another penalty, which Peque converted to make it 2:1.
Several details are particularly important for García Plaza. The team showed a reaction after the mistake and the conceded goal, the substitutes directly changed the match, and victory came even though Sevilla played the closing stages with a numerical disadvantage. On the other hand, the early problem in building from the back is exactly the kind of situation Athletic may try to punish aggressively in front of their own supporters.
New faces already have an important role
Sevilla's squad looks different from the beginning of the previous season. In the starting line-up against Rayo Vallecano, Odysseas Vlachodimos, Juan Iglesias, Arouna Sangante, Kike Salas and Gabriel Suazo formed the back line, while Lucien Agoumé, Nico Guillén and Jon Guridi occupied midfield. Miguel Sierra, Oso and Isaac Romero started in attack.
Robbie Ure is particularly interesting. The Scottish striker joined the team shortly before the opening round, started on the bench and then took part in the move that produced the decisive penalty. Peque also came on at half-time and finished the match as the scorer of the winning goal.
One of the main questions for the visitors is therefore whether García Plaza will retain much of the starting line-up from the first round or reward the players who changed the rhythm in the second half.
Absences require caution with predictions
Kike Salas received a straight red card against Rayo Vallecano and his disciplinary situation is an important issue in preparations for the match in Bilbao. At the time of writing, the final decision on the length of the suspension had not yet been announced, so there is no point inventing its duration. His availability for San Mamés therefore has to be viewed through the decision of the relevant disciplinary body.
There is also no reason for Athletic to declare players unavailable in advance without a fresh medical report for this match. The latest pre-season match against Atalanta provides a much more reliable picture of the options currently being used than older injury reports from earlier stages of the summer.
How the match could look on the pitch
In front of their home crowd, Athletic should try to impose intensity from the start. Sevilla showed vulnerability against Rayo when trying to build attacks from the back under pressure, and San Mamés is a ground where the home side traditionally wants to turn the energy from the stands into a more aggressive start to the match.
The connection between Sancet and the forwards will be particularly important for Athletic. If the home side can find space between Sevilla's midfield and defensive lines, Iñaki Williams and the other quick players can get into situations where they attack the defence facing goal.
Sevilla will probably look for a different route. They did not dominate throughout the match against Rayo, but after the break they became more direct and dangerous. Guridi can bring energy from deeper positions, Agoumé physical presence in midfield, while Ure, Peque, Isaac Romero and Ruben Vargas give García Plaza different profiles capable of changing the match.
Three tactical points are particularly worth watching:
- how high Athletic can press Sevilla's first phase of build-up play
- whether Sancet will receive the ball between the visitors' midfield and defensive lines
- whether Sevilla can quickly attack the space behind the home full-backs after winning possession
- how much the substitutes will once again influence the rhythm in the second half
Head-to-head meetings suggest a match without a clear favourite
The most recent league meetings show that home advantage is not an automatic guarantee of victory, but also that Athletic have often found a solution against Sevilla in recent seasons.
The last five league head-to-head matches:
- Sevilla FC 2:1 Athletic Club - January 2026.
- Athletic Club 3:2 Sevilla FC - August 2025.
- Sevilla FC 0:1 Athletic Club - March 2025.
- Athletic Club 1:1 Sevilla FC - September 2024.
- Athletic Club 2:0 Sevilla FC - May 2024.
Last season's meeting at San Mamés is particularly interesting. Athletic won 3:2 in a five-goal match, while Sevilla took revenge in January with a 2:1 victory on their own ground. The new meeting comes at a different moment, with a new Athletic coach and a significantly changed Sevilla side, so the previous results say more about the balance of this fixture than about any clear advantage for one side.
San Mamés and the atmosphere before the match
San Mamés is located at Rafael Moreno Pitxitxi Kalea, s/n, in Bilbao. The current stadium opened in 2013 and has a capacity of 53,331 spectators. It was built practically on the site of the old San Mamés, and because of the close proximity of the stands to the pitch, the crowd is very close to the action.
The stadium is located within the urban fabric rather than on a distant outskirts. That changes the entire experience of arriving for the match. The streets around the stadium fill up early, and Licenciado Poza, also known as Pozas, is one of the most recognisable gathering places before Athletic's home matches.
For Sevilla, the opening minutes will therefore carry additional importance. If the visitors manage to calm the match and avoid an early mistake like the one against Rayo, they can reduce the pressure from the stands. If Athletic quickly create several attacks and force the visitors to defend deep in front of their own goal, the noise inside the stadium can become an important part of the rhythm of the match.
Seats in the stands disappear quickly when San Mamés attracts major interest, so it is worth securing tickets in good time.
How to get to the stadium
The location of San Mamés allows easy access by public transport, which is more practical for visitors from another city than trying to drive into the immediate surroundings of the stadium.
- Metro: San Mamés station is on lines L1 and L2, and the Sabino Arana exit is approximately 250 metres from the stadium.
- Intermodal: the main bus terminal is located next to the San Mamés transport hub and is connected to the metro, suburban trains and other urban transport.
- Trams and city buses also have stops in the immediate vicinity of the stadium.
- It is also possible to walk from central parts of Bilbao. From the Guggenheim Museum area to the stadium, the walk takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
- For those arriving by car, one option in the wider area is parking near Palacio Euskalduna, but availability on matchday should not be assumed.
For supporters visiting Bilbao for the first time, the simplest plan is to reach the San Mamés area by public transport and cover the rest of the journey on foot. This avoids searching for parking at a time when large numbers of people are moving towards the stadium.
Entrances and arrival before kick-off
The exact time at which the gates will open for this match had not yet been announced when this guide was prepared, so it should not be replaced by an assumption based on other matches.
For matchday itself, it has been announced that the San Mamés ticket offices will be open from 10:30 to 13:00 and again from 15:00 to 17:00. Visitors should nevertheless check for any new organisational information shortly before travelling, particularly details about entrances, access to the away supporters' section and possible traffic restrictions around the stadium.
The safest option is to head towards the stadium early enough. San Mamés is in a densely built-up part of the city, and immediately before kick-off the biggest crowds form precisely at the approaches and ticket checks.
What visitors can combine with the match in Bilbao
San Mamés is close enough to the centre that attending the match does not require a separate day trip out of the city. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the area along the Nervión river, Palacio Euskalduna and the central districts can all be reached on foot or by a short ride on public transport.
Supporters who want to experience the rhythm of matchday before entering the stands may find it more interesting to spend time in the area around the stadium rather than arriving immediately before kick-off. Pozas and the surrounding streets become a natural route towards San Mamés, while the concentration of home shirts and supporters' songs gradually increases as kick-off approaches.
Away supporters should pay particular attention to instructions relating to their section. For certain matches, the club organises separate access routes for visiting supporters, so current information for the specific fixture is more important than experience from a previous away trip.
Why the second round is already an important test for both teams
Athletic do not have the luxury of an opening round in which they can hide unfinished details of the new system. Terzić's first league appearance immediately comes under the full expectations of San Mamés and against a team that already has a competitive victory behind it.
Sevilla, meanwhile, travel to Bilbao with three points but also several warnings from the opening round. The mistake that led to the conceded goal, the need for substitutions to raise the tempo and the late red card all show that García Plaza's project is not yet a finished product. The positive side was the team's character: after a poor start they did not fall apart, and they continued to chase victory even with a man down.
For the home side, the key will be to turn their initial energy into concrete chances rather than merely possession and pressure. For the visitors, the task will be to survive Athletic's most intense periods and then find the space left by the home side when they push forward.
Ticket sales for this match are underway, and the combination of the first league evening of Athletic's new era and Sevilla's attempt to continue their winning start provides plenty of reason to expect a very lively San Mamés.
Sources:
- LaLiga - date and time of the Athletic Club - Sevilla FC match, second round and the 2026/2027 season schedule.
- Athletic Club - match information, head-to-head meetings, pre-season matches against CD Derio, SD Eibar, Racing, Olympique Marseille and Atalanta, and Edin Terzić's squad.
- Sevilla FC - report on the 2:1 victory over Rayo Vallecano, starting line-up, goalscorers, Kike Salas' red card, statements by Luis García Plaza and squad information.
- San Mamés / Athletic Club - stadium capacity, location, information on arrival, the surroundings of the stadium and ticket-office opening hours for the match against Sevilla.
- Metro Bilbao - San Mamés station, lines L1 and L2, exits and distances to the stadium and other nearby locations.