Athletic Club vs Atletico Madrid

Athletic Club host Atletico Madrid on Saturday afternoon in the fourth round of the 2026/27 La Liga season. The Basque side are searching for their first points of the campaign, while Diego Simeone’s visitors aim to build on a solid, if unspectacular, start.

Edin Terzic’s tenure at Athletic has begun in the worst possible fashion. Two defeats from two have left his team joint-bottom of the table alongside Real Sociedad, with a defence that conceded 58 goals last season already breached five times in 180 minutes of football. Atletico, by contrast, have collected four points from three outings and arrive in Bilbao targeting a result that would keep them in touch with the early frontrunners.

Team News and Injury Latest

Athletic Club’s selection problems are mounting. Yuri Berchiche is suspended following the straight red card he received in the opening minutes of the season, and although the club lodged an appeal, he will not feature here. Defensive duo Daniel Vivian and Unai Eguiluz are both confirmed absentees, while Nico Serrano and Benat Prados also remain on the treatment table. The only sliver of good news for Terzic is the expected return of goalkeeper Unai Simon, who should start behind a patched-up back four likely to feature Boiro, Paredes, Alvarez and Areso.

Atletico Madrid also have their own injury concerns heading into the contest. Alexander Sorloth will miss out with a muscle injury, while Julian Alvarez is unavailable for the trip to San Mamés. Robin Le Normand is another confirmed absentee, reducing Simeone’s options at centre-back. The Atletico boss does, however, have the bulk of his experienced core to call upon as his side look to record their second league win of the young season.

Athletic Club Form Guide

The numbers make grim reading for Athletic supporters. A 3-1 home defeat against Sevilla on the opening weekend matched an unwanted club defensive record at San Mamés, before a 2-0 loss at Barcelona left them without a point or a positive goal difference. No summer signings arrived to refresh a squad that leaked goals last term, and Terzic is already having to field questions about his ability to halt the slide. The opening pair of fixtures have heaped immediate pressure on the German, who needs a transformative performance from his side in front of their own fans.

Atletico Madrid Form Guide

Atletico’s early-season form has been steady rather than spectacular. Their most recent outing saw them share the points in a 2-2 draw with Villarreal, leaving them with four points from a possible nine and a position in the chasing pack just outside the Champions League places. Simeone’s men have missed the cutting edge Alexander Sorloth provided during his 13-goal league campaign last time around, and with Alvarez also sidelined, the attacking burden will fall even more heavily on the collective unit that has long been the hallmark of the Argentine’s regime.

Key Battle: Athletic’s Rebuilt Defence vs Atletico’s Collective Attack

With Berchiche, Vivian and Eguiluz all missing, Terzic must construct a defensive line that has no room for error. Paredes and Alvarez are expected to form a makeshift central pairing, while the full-back slots will likely be filled by squad players still adapting to the demands of regular first-team football. Simeone will sense an opportunity to exploit that uncertainty, even without his two primary strikers. Atletico’s approach under their long-serving coach has always relied on suffocating space and striking at moments of fragility, a formula that seems tailor-made for this encounter.

Athletic have not beaten Barcelona in the league since August 2019, but their recent record against Atletico offers a more hopeful reference point — the physical, high-tempo approach that defines San Mamés on a big occasion has troubled more polished visitors in the past. Whether Terzic’s depleted squad can summon that intensity after two demoralising defeats will define the afternoon.

The fixture carries significant weight for both sides. Athletic need a foothold in their season before the table takes on a permanent shape, while Atletico cannot afford to drop points against a wounded opponent if they are to keep pace with the early leaders. Three points for Simeone would steady the ship; for Terzic, even a single point would feel like a turning point.