Athletic Club kick off their league campaign at San Mamés with a settled lineup and a core of experienced performers, while a heavily rotated Sevilla side arrives with six regulars missing from the starting XI. The visitors' opener against Osasuna showed they can be dangerous fro…
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Sign inAthletic Club face Sevilla in La Liga's second matchday on Saturday, with Edin Terzic still searching for his best midfield combination after a mixed pre-season. The visitors arrive with three points from their opening win over Rayo Vallecano but will be without suspended defender Kike Salas.
Athletic's pre-season minutes reveal a coach still undecided in the engine room. Canales leads with 399 minutes, while Gerenabarrena (299, three starts) and Rego (285, partly at centre-back) have been tested in various roles. The absences of Aymeric Laporte and Dani Vivian have forced defensive reshuffles, but the real question is who partners the returning Beñat Prados—he has managed only 140 minutes since a knee injury last season. Terzic has clarity at full-back and up front but must settle on a midfield trio for the visit of Sevilla.
Luis García's side kicked off their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano despite playing the closing stages with ten men. Kike Salas was sent off, meaning he misses this trip. Jon Guridi was on the scoresheet, and new signing Robbie Ure made his debut off the bench. Sevilla have lost key players like Akor Adams and Juanlu over the summer, but they showed resilience in that opener—conceding early before turning the game around. The visitors will look to the creativity of Vargas and the physical presence of Ure to trouble Athletic's backline.
Sevilla showed vulnerability against Rayo when trying to play out from the back under pressure, and Athletic will aim to exploit that in front of their own fans. Terzic's side are expected to start with a high intensity, using the energy of the home crowd to force mistakes. The midfield battle will be pivotal: if Athletic can disrupt Sevilla's rhythm early, they may wrestle control. However, Sevilla's wide players can punish any over-commitment on the break.
The most recent meeting ended in a 2-1 away win for Sevilla. Historically, Athletic hold the edge: 77 wins to Sevilla's 73 in 183 competitive meetings, underlining how evenly matched these clubs have been. At their usual home venue, Athletic's record is even stronger, though this fixture's location is unconfirmed.
Athletic will be desperate to avoid a second straight defeat after their pre-season loss to Atalanta, while Sevilla will aim to build on their opening-day momentum. The result could be an early indicator of which side is better equipped to meet the demands of a long La Liga season.
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