Champions League: Parisiens Head to San Mames in a Testy Clash With the Lions

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain

PSG are gunning for the top spot when they visit Athletic Bilbao at San Mames for their upcoming Champions League match this Wednesday night, and Luis Enrique’s men should take this seriously, despite their comfortable position in the standings.

The Parisiens are second in the table with 12 points after winning four of their first five matches, with their lone setback being a 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich last November. On the domestic front, PSG are surprisingly second in the Ligue 1 standings, trailing RC Lens by one point, so they’re keen to build momentum in the next few days.

Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao have a lot of catching up to do in the league phase, as Los Leones are 27th in the table with only four points. Ernesto Valverde’s side has only won one European match so far this term.

 

Talking Points

Athletic Bilbao are shorthanded

Athletic Bilbao will enter this match off the back of a confidence-boosting result, as they won 1-0 against Atletico Madrid on Saturday, with Alex Berenguer scoring the late winner. If they beat PSG on Wednesday, Los Leones would be in a solid spot in the Champions League standings, with winnable games against Atalanta and Sporting on the horizon to cap off their league phase campaign.

However, beating the defending European champions will be easier said than done, as they will be without a host of key players, namely Yeray Alvarez, Robert Navarro, Benat Prados, Unai Egiluz, Maroan Sannadi, Inaki Williams, Aymeric Laporte, and Aitor Paredes. Yeray is serving a long-term ban for a doping violation, and Paredes picked up his third yellow card in the last game against Slavia Prague. The rest are in the medical room.

Head coach Ernesto Valverde will likely stick with the frontline of Nico Williams, Oihan Sancet, Gorka Guruzeta, and Alex Berenguer, with Mikel Jauregizar and Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta in the double pivot. Inigo Lekue and Dani Vivian will likely fill the void left by Laporte and Paredes at centre half.

 

Dembele iffy to play for PSG

Ousmane Dembele recently returned to action when he came off the bench in PSG’s 5-0 rout of 10-man Rennes last Sunday, but he might miss out on the Athletic Bilbao game on Wednesday. According to the Champions League 2025 news, the 28-year-old winger did not train with the squad on Monday due to flu-like symptoms, so he’s a game-time decision.

Since winning the Ballon d’Or, Dembele has yet to hit his stride this season, with only two goals and two assists in eight Ligue 1 matches. He is yet to start in the Champions League this season. On the other hand, Achraf Hakimi and Desire Doue are out due to injuries, while Lucas Beraldo, Nuno Mendes, and Lucas Chevalier are questionable to play. 

PSG will continue to rely on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves, Vitinha, and Bradley Barcola to produce. The four of them have combined for 14 goals and 10 assists this term.

 

History

Wednesday marks only the third European contest between Athletic Bilbao and PSG. These two proud sides last met in the 2011-12 Europa League group stage in Group F.

Athletic Bilbao won 2-0 in the first match at San Mames, as Igor Gabilondo and Markel Susaeta were on the scoresheet. PSG won 4-2 in the reverse fixture at Parc des Princes. The Parisiens benefited from goals by Javier Pastore, Mathieu Bodmer, and Guillaume Hoarau, and an own goal from Inigo Perez. 

Jon Aurtenetxe and David Lopez scored the consolation goals for Los Leones.

By finishing at the top of the group with 13 points, Athletic Bilbao advanced to the knockout phase, leaving PSG, who finished third with 10 points but with an inferior goal difference (-1) compared to RB Salzburg (+3), behind. Los Leones reached the final, losing 3-0 to Atletico Madrid.

 

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Champions League 2025 odds have highlighted the massive gap between PSG and Athletic Bilbao. The Parisiens are 1.51 favourites to win, whereas Los Leones are 5.40 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.91 in the 1X2 market.

Simply put, PSG’s firepower will likely overwhelm Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, making it difficult for the hosts to take any positives from the contest. Besides our recommended bet, bettors may also add Over 2.25 at 1.58, Over 2.50 at 1.80, Over 2.75 at 2.06, and even Total Goal 4-6 at 3.07 to the parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 4-2 in favour of the Parisiens – the result of their previous meeting – is on offer at a mouthwatering 55.00 your bet.

   

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