Preview:Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla - prediction, team news, lineups

Athletic Bilbao will be bidding to make a winning start to their 2025-26 La Liga campaign when they welcome Sevilla to San Mames on Sunday evening.

The Lions finished fourth in Spain's top flight last season, level on points with fifth-placed Villarreal, while the visitors ended the campaign in a hugely disappointing 17th spot.

Match preview

Athletic boasted a record of 19 wins, 13 draws and six defeats from their 38 league matches last season, with a total of 70 points seeing them finish fourth, 10 points ahead of sixth-placed Real Betis.

Ernesto Valverde's side will play in the league phase of the Champions League this season - they have not operated in the European Cup since 2014-15, so it will be a special campaign for the club.

The Lions are restricted with what they can do in the transfer market due to their Basque-only policy, but they have managed to bring two new players to San Mames, signing Jesus Areso from Osasuna and Robert Navarro from Mallorca.

However, Athletic's best piece of transfer business has been keeping hold of Nico Williams, with the Spain international, who was again heavily linked with Barcelona, signing a new contract at San Mames.

Athletic's pre-season form has been worrying, losing six of their seven friendlies, including a 3-0 reverse to Arsenal last weekend, so they will not enter this match in the best form.

Sevilla finished the 2024-25 La Liga campaign in 17th spot, which proved to be their worst final position in Spain's top flight since being relegated back in 1999-2000.

It would have been utterly disastrous had they been relegated to the Segunda Division, and it was a close call, finishing just one point clear of 18th-placed Leganes.

Los Nervionenses simply have to improve this season, and they are now under the management of Matias Almeyda, with the 51-year-old leaving AEK Athens to take charge of the La Liga giants.

Sevilla have signed three players this summer, with Alfon Gonzalez and Gabriel Suazo arriving on free transfers, while goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos has been loaned from Newcastle United.

Almeyda's side also played a lot of football over the summer, and they only lost one of their seven friendlies, recording two wins in the process, so it has been a positive pre-season for the club.

Athletic Bilbao pre-season form:

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Sevilla pre-season form:

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Team News

Athletic are likely to hand a debut at right-back to Areso, with the 26-year-old expected to come straight into the XI.

Nico Williams and Inaki Williams will be notable starters in the final third of the field, but Yeray Alvarez is unavailable for selection on Sunday evening due to a suspension.

Meanwhile, the Basque outfit will be without the services of Unai Egiluz, Benat Prados, Oihan Sancet and Unai Gomez due to injury problems.

As for Sevilla, six players are doubts and will therefore require fitness tests before it can be determined whether they can be involved in the team's opening match of the new season.

The players in question are Loic Bade, Chidera Ejuke, Joan Jordan, Ramon Martinez, Tanguy Nianzou and Isaac Romero.

There is expected to be a debut for Suazo on Sunday, while Dodi Lukebakio was a standout player for Sevilla last season, scoring 11 La Liga goals, and he is also set to be in the XI.

Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:

Simon; Areso, Paredes, Vivian, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; I Williams, Berenguer, N Williams; Sannadi

Sevilla possible starting lineup:

Nyland; Salas, Carmona, Marcao; Sanchez, Agoume, Gudelj, Suazo; Sow; Adams, Lukebakio

We say: Athletic Bilbao 2-0 Sevilla

Sevilla simply have to improve in the new season, and we are expecting them to be a stronger outfit in 2025-26. This is a really tough opener against a quality side, though, and Athletic should have too much for their opponents on Sunday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.