Athletic Bilbao vs Sporting CP Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
by Alex Lawes ·
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Athletic Club have given themselves a major opportunity to finish tucked inside the top 24 as the Basque giants welcome Sporting CP to San Mames this week.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / US – Paramount+
Athletic Bilbao preview: Given themselves a chance
Having struggled to balance the intensity of La Liga and UEFA Champions League football throughout this campaign, Athletic Club have managed to somehow give themselves a chance to finish in the knockout playoff round.
The hosts gave themselves that opportunity by massively adapting their selection and styles last week in Bergamo as they defeated Atalanta by three goals to two, courtesy of goals scored by Gorka Guruzeta, Robert Navarro and Nico Serrano.
Sporting CP preview: Strong Sporting
Sporting CP head into the final match day of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League sitting just outside of the top eight and the automatic round of 16 spots, as one of eight teams to finish level on 13 points in their seven matches.
Sporting come into this one on the back of a 2-1 defeat of Arouca to keep up the pressure on Porto in Portugal, a few days after they managed to defeat Paris Saint-Germain by two goals to one at the Estadio Jose Alvalade last week.
Athletic Bilbao team news: Lots of issues
Key midfielder Mikel Jauregizar is now missing through suspension for the hosts, with key defensive issues, too. Inaki Williams is also an absentee for Athletic.
Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Simon; Lekue, Vivian, Paredes; Gorosabel, Vesga, Rego, Boiro; Sancet, N. Williams; Navarro
Unavailable: Yeray (Disciplinary), Egiluz (Injured), Prados (Injured), Jauregizar (Suspended), I. Williams (Injured), Sannadi (Injured)
Questionable: Laporte (Injured)
Sporting CP team news: Plenty of injuries
Sporting are dealing with plenty of injury issues for this weekend, such as former Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannidis and versatile wing-back Nuno Santos.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Silva; Fresneda, Inacio, Reis, Mangas; Simoes, Morita; Catamo, Trincao, Araujo; Suarez
Unavailable: Faye (Ineligible), Santos (Injured), Quenda (Injured), Quaresma (Injured), Blopa (Injured), Guilherme (Ineligible), Ioannidis (Injured)
Questionable:
Athletic Bilbao vs Sporting CP prediction
Athletic have a lot of options, despite the injury to Inaki Williams, and it would be a surprise to see Ernesto Valverde stick with a back three but it would make sense for them to do so. Sporting will head to the Basque Country aware that a round of 16 spot could be valuable and it should therefore lead to quite an entertaining encounter at San Mames this week.
Athletic Bilbao vs Sporting CP Tip: Both teams to score
