Slavia Prague vs Athletic Bilbao Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
by Alex Lawes ·
Updated
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Czech champions Slavia Prague are among the weaker sides in the league phase of this season’s UEFA Champions League as they now take on Basque giants Athletic Club.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / US – Paramount+
Slavia Prague preview: Steady Slavia
Slavia Prague come into this one on the back of a comfortable 3-1 defeat of Bohemians 1905 in the Czech First League at the weekend, leaving them sitting two points clear of city rivals Sparta Prague at the top-of-the-table domestically.
In the league phase of the UEFA Champions League, they have thus far collected two points from their opening four matches. Their most recent outing in Europe saw them suffer a 3-0 hammering at home to a very strong Arsenal side.
Athletic Bilbao preview: Need a win
Coached by Ernesto Valverde, Athletic Club have been consistently improving in recent seasons and that finished up with them finishing fourth in La Liga last season, but they have regressed again this time around.
That level of underperformance continued at the reopening of Camp Nou, as they suffered a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Spanish champions Barcelona due to goals from Robert Lewandowski and Fermin Lopez as well as a Ferran Torres brace.
Slavia Prague team news: Dorley a doubt
Liberia international Oscar Dorley is out injured this week, as Slavia deal with a couple of players struggling through illness, David Moses and Christos Zafeiris.
Predicted XI (3-4-3): Stanek; Vlcek, Zima, Chaloupek; Moses, Zafeiris, Sadilek, Mbodji; Provod, Chory Kusej
Unavailable: Dorley (Injured)
Questionable: Moses (Illness), Schranz (Fitness), Zafeiris (illness)
Athletic Bilbao team news: Importance on Nico
Nico Williams is fully fit and available, and there is added importance for the visitors on his performance level, especially with his brother, Inaki, missing through injury due to a groin issue.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Simon; Gorosabel, Vivian, Laporte, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; Berenguer, Sancet, N. Williams; Guruzeta
Unavailable: I. Williams (Injured), Sannadi (Injured), Serrano (Injured)
Questionable:
Slavia Prague vs Athletic Bilbao prediction
Slavia Prague have proven themselves to competitive this season, albeit they were outplayed against Arsenal. That said, they weren’t the first and certainly won’t be the last to struggle for any form against the Gunners. Athletic head to the Czech capital city with some problems and a bit of uncertainty over Valverde and so shouldn’t really be trusted to get an away win in Europe and so both teams scoring would appear a good shout.
Slavia Prague vs Athletic Bilbao Tip: Both teams to score
