🏏 Sat, 22 Aug 2026 17:00 CEST
Athletic Club
vs
Sevilla
4-2-3-1 vs 4-2-3-1
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- Sevilla arrive in the Basque Country on the back of a 2-1 home win over Rayo Vallecano on the opening weekend, which leaves them fourth on three points with a goal difference of +1. Only Alaves, who have played twice and sit on four points, are above them, so a result at San Mames would be an early statement.
- The tactical shape is the first thing to watch: Athletic line up 4-2-3-1 while Sevilla pack the middle with a 4-5-1. That leaves the hosts' pivot of Peio Canales and Benat Herenabarrena outnumbered against Lucien Agoume, Jon Guridi and Peque Fernandez, so how high full-backs Yuri Berchiche and Jesus Areso can push will decide who controls the tempo.
- Athletic's engine room is strikingly young: Canales is 21 and Herenabarrena 23, the former back from a spell at Racing Santander and the latter having gained minutes at Castellon. They face the 24-year-old Agoume, whose CV already includes Inter Milan, Troyes and Brest, and the left-footed Guridi, a 31-year-old Real Sociedad academy product known for his distribution.
- There is serious height in the duels around Sevilla's box. Gorka Guruzeta (188cm), who grew into a first-choice striker after loan seasons at Sabadell and Amorebieta, and the equally tall Oihan Sancet, who thrives on late runs into the area, will be tested by centre-backs Andres Castrin (188cm) and Sangante (189cm), the Senegal international who captained Le Havre.
- Down the right, 32-year-old captain Inaki Williams uses raw pace and relentless pressing to pin opposing full-backs, and he will be up against Chile international Gabriel Suazo. Suazo captained Colo-Colo and won the Coupe de France with Toulouse, and his appetite for overlapping runs means this flank could swing the balance of the game either way.
- The other flank pits 36-year-old Yuri Berchiche, a Ligue 1 treble winner with Paris Saint-Germain, and Alex Berenguer, who sharpened his cut-in shooting at Torino and Osasuna, against Juan Iglesias. The 28-year-old worked his way up from Getafe's B team and relies on durability and positional discipline rather than flair.
- The goalkeeping match-up is a good one. Unai Simon, 190cm and Spain's first choice, made his name in the EURO 2020 shoot-out and is comfortable enough with his feet to join the build-up. Odysseas Vlachodimos, 32, brings a Greek international career shaped by stints at Stuttgart, Benfica, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
- Sevilla's attacking unit is remarkably raw. Robbie Ure wears the No. 9 and leads the line, flanked by 172cm La Masia graduate Peque Fernandez, 23, who arrived via Racing Santander, and left-footed Sierra, still pushing for a permanent place after coming through Sevilla Atletico. Oso, 23 and a Malaga academy product comfortable at left-back, completes a youthful selection for a hostile away day.
- Athletic's bench may be the difference late on. Nico Williams, 24, scored in the EURO 2024 final and offers one-on-one dominance from the left, while Aymeric Laporte brings Premier League and Champions League medals from Manchester City plus left-footed passing range from centre-back. Morocco international Maroan Sannadi (192cm) and Barcelona and Monaco academy alumnus Robert Navarro add further options.
- Sevilla have counter-punchers of their own in reserve. Nigeria international Chidera Ejuke, 28, built his reputation on pace and dribbling at CSKA Moscow and Hertha Berlin, while academy graduate Isaac Romero, 26, carries a fierce left-footed shot. Spain U21 full-back Jose Angel Carmona is also available if the visitors need fresh legs on the right.