BETTING GUIDE: Athletic Bilbao vs Qarabag, Match Preview, Team News, and Prediction
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Reading Time: 4min | Wed. 22.10.25. | 11:08
Athletic’s defence will be tested by a Qarabag attack that has been efficient and ruthless
Athletic Bilbao will be desperate to turn their UEFA Champions League campaign around as they welcome an in-form Qarabag FK to San Mamés on Wednesday night.
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The Basque club finds itself in an early must-win scenario after back-to-back defeats in the opening two league-phase matches, while their Azerbaijani opponents have stunned the competition so far with two wins from two.
Ernesto Valverde’s side began their return to the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2014-15 with high expectations, but their opening results have been anything but encouraging.
A 2-0 home defeat to Arsenal was followed by a 4-1 drubbing away to Borussia Dortmund, leaving Athletic down in 35th place in the overall league-phase standings, with zero points and a concerning goal difference.
The Spanish side must now respond with urgency if they are to maintain any realistic hopes of progressing to the knockout stage.
Their league form has also faltered in recent weeks.
A goalless draw with Elche over the weekend means Athletic have now won just one of their last nine games across all competitions.
That poor stretch of form includes six defeats and only two draws, highlighting their recent struggles in both attack and defence.
Despite a bright start to the LaLiga season with three consecutive wins, Athletic have lost momentum and now sit eighth in the domestic table with 14 points from nine matches.
Qarabag, in stark contrast, have been one of the surprise packages of this season’s Champions League.
Gurban Gurbanov’s men opened their campaign with a thrilling 3-2 win over Benfica and followed it up with a convincing 2-0 victory over Copenhagen.
Those two wins have catapulted them to 10th in the Champions League standings, level on points with heavyweights like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Few expected such dominance from the Azerbaijani champions, but their performances have earned widespread respect.
The visitors head to Spain full of confidence, riding a wave of momentum with six consecutive wins in all competitions. Qarabag are currently top of the Azerbaijani Premier League, having claimed 16 points from their first seven matches.
Their most recent result was a 2-1 league win over Turan Tovuz, a result that extended their unbeaten run and demonstrated their ability to grind out victories, even when not at their best.
Athletic’s defence will be tested by a Qarabag attack that has been efficient and ruthless.
The Azerbaijani outfit have scored at least two goals in each of their last five matches out of six, with key players like Abdellah Zoubir and Leandro Andrade in excellent form.
Zoubir has four goals and four assists in all competitions this season, while Andrade has chipped in with four goals and three assists.
Both are expected to start, alongside Kady Borges and Camilo Duran, forming a fluid and dangerous front four.
In terms of team news, Athletic will be without suspended centre-back Yeray Álvarez, while Benat Prados and Unai Egiluz remain unavailable.
A late decision will be made on Inaki Williams due to a muscular issue, but the forward is expected to be fit to start.
His brother Nico Williams will also feature, while Gorka Guruzeta and Oihan Sancet are likely to complete the attacking quartet.
Valverde is not expected to deviate from his trusted formation, but the pressure is mounting for a performance and result.
Qarabag, meanwhile, report no major injury concerns and should field a full-strength lineup.
With no suspensions and morale high, Qarabag are well-positioned to push for a historic third win in a row at this stage of the competition.
From a tactical standpoint, Athletic must tighten up defensively. Their last two Champions League games have seen them concede six goals, and they have kept just two clean sheets in their last 10 fixtures across all competitions.
Valverde will be aware that allowing Qarabag to control the tempo or hit on the counter could prove costly. Midfield control will be crucial, with Oihan Sancet and Mikel Jauregizar needing to impose themselves early to break up Qarabag's rhythm.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
Historically, Athletic are unbeaten in two previous matches against Azerbaijani opponents (W1, D1), while Qarabag have never beaten a Spanish side in five attempts (D2, L3).
However, given their current form, past records may have little bearing on this contest.
Key Pointers
- Athletic have won just 3 of their last 14 UCL group games
- Qarabağ rarely sees both teams score in their games
- Qarabağ have a perfect away record this season, often winning without scoring first
With everything on the line for the hosts and Qarabag brimming with confidence, this promises to be a tightly contested affair.
Athletic will benefit from the backing of their home crowd, but Qarabag’s clinical edge and form cannot be ignored.
While both sides have players capable of deciding the game, the likelihood of goals looks strong given the attacking form on display and the stakes involved.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Disclaimer: Whilst we do our utmost to offer good advice and information, we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling.
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