Athletic Bilbao Matches Poor Defensive Mark After 3-1 Loss to Sevilla in La Liga Kickoff

Athletic Bilbao faced a challenging beginning to their La Liga season, falling 3-1 at home to Sevilla. The game took a turn early when defender Yuri Berchiche was shown a straight red card just 11 minutes in, forcing the team to play with ten men for the majority of the match. This setback immediately exposed defensive weaknesses and led to Bilbao matching an unwanted record from last season.

Defensive Issues Surface Again

Last year, Bilbao conceded three goals at home only once, in a 3-0 defeat against Real Madrid. That stability vanished in this match as Sevilla found the net three times against goalkeeper Unai Simón. Goals came from Oso, Chidera Ejuke, and Isaac Romero. The problems were worsened by key mistakes: Aitor Paredes conceded a penalty, Simón faltered on the first goal, and Jesus Areso’s backheel error allowed Sevilla to score the third. Coach Edin Terzic now faces the challenge of rebuilding a defense that had won Simón the Zamora Trophy in 2023-24 and had been the stingiest in goals allowed in 2024-25.

Concerns Grow After Early Setback

This opening defeat mirrors the defensive troubles that plagued Athletic last season when they let in 58 goals, ranking fifth worst in the league. Although Paredes scored a consolation goal in the second half, it was not enough to alter the outcome. To regain their former defensive strength and make San Mamés a difficult place for opponents, Terzic must quickly find solutions to these structural problems.

Upcoming Challenge Against Barcelona

The team’s next fixture is a daunting trip to Barcelona on Thursday. Barcelona showed their firepower by dismantling Elche 5-0 in their opener, boasting an attack led by Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Dani Olmo, who averaged 2.5 goals per game last season. With Athletic having recorded few clean sheets recently and now dealing with a depleted squad, Terzic's side faces a significant test if they want to stop their early-season slide and regain momentum.

• Match: Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao
• Date: 27 August 2026
• Time: 21:00

• Next Home Match: Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla
• Date: 29 August 2026
• Time: 21:30

• Upcoming Fixture: Atletico Madrid vs Sevilla
• Date: 29 August 2026
• Time: 21:30