Champions League Matchday 1: Athletic Club vs Arsenal facts

Athletic Club's first UEFA Champions League game in 11 seasons brings Arsenal, semi-finalists in 2024/25, to Bilbao.

Last match

This is the teams' first fixture.

Athletic have lost only two of their nine matches at home against English clubs (W4 D3) although one of those defeats came in the most recent fixture, 0-3 against Manchester United in last season's UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg.

Arsenal have won their last five games against Spanish teams, including all three in the 2024/25 Champions League – 2-1 at Girona on Matchday 8 and home (3-0) and away (2-1) against holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

The Gunners have won seven of their last nine games against Liga opponents, home and away (D1 L1).

Wins at Girona and Madrid made it six victories in Arsenal's 20 fixtures away to Spanish sides; they have four victories – and five defeats – in their last nine visits.

Athletic Club

Athletic are in the Champions League proper for the first time since 2014/15; their only other appearance came in 1998/99.

European Cup quarter-finalists on debut in 1956/57, the Basque side have won only three of their 12 matches in the Champions League proper (D4 L5).

The Bilbao club have drawn both their previous Matchday 1 fixtures in the competition.

Athletic won their first six home games in last season's Europa League – including all four in the league phase – before the 0-3 first-leg loss to Manchester United that set up a 1-7 aggregate semi-final reverse.

Arsenal

Having not featured in the Champions League proper between 2016/17 and 2023/24, Arsenal are making their third successive appearance.

The Gunners reached the semi-finals last season – their best run in the competition since 2008/09 – before a 1-3 aggregate defeat by eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain (0-1 h, 1-2 a).

Arsenal are unbeaten on Matchday 1 in their last eight Champions or Europa League campaigns, since a 1-2 loss at GNK Dinamo in the 2015/16 Champions League.

Key stats

Athletic have won 14 of their last 18 home European matches.

Arsenal have won 16 of their last 22 games in the Champions League group stage/league phase, losing only two.

The London club lost only one of their eight matches in last season's league phase, winning six including the last four.

Arsenal have kept seven clean sheets in their last 11 group stage/league phase matches.

Viktor Gyökeres scored six goals in six Champions League starts for Sporting CP last season.

Bukayo Saka has ten goals in his first 18 Champions League appearances; the only English player with more at the same stage is Harry Kane (14).