UCL: Athletic Club vs. Arsenal: Both Sides After Winning Start in Europe (Sep 16)
Arsenal head over to Spain to face Athletic Club in the first round of the UEFA Champions League.
Arsenal will be hoping to start well as they look to better their semi-final appearance from last season.
Athletic Club are no easy feat, having been staples in the late rounds of the Europa League over the last few seasons, they make the step up to UEFA’s top competition.
Odds
| Match Result | Odds |
| Athletic Club | 10/3 |
| Arsenal | 15/16 |
| Draw | 5/2 |
Clean Slate for Both Teams
Arsenal and Athletic Club have never faced off in Europe before.
Despite no recent matchups, Arsenal will head into this as favourites on the back of a seriously strong Champions League campaign lasts season.
Athletic Club are known for scalp results, having knocked out a strong Manchester United side in the Europa League 12 years ago, they will be hoping home field advantage can get them some points here.
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Key Stats
- Athletic Club haven’t scored in their last two matches.
- Arsenal have lost just one of their last five fixtures in all competitions.
- Arsenal have scored 12 goals in their last five games, that includes a 3-0 friendly win over Athletic Club.
Athletic Club Team News
Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Club have had a strong start to the season, winning their first three games but have since lost their last two fixtures.
The Spanish side will be without four players for this game.
Inigo Lekue, Unai Eguiluz, Benat Prados and Nico Williams will all miss out.
Possible Lineup
Unai Simon (GK), Jesus Areso, Daniel Vivian, Aitor Paredes, Yuri Berchiche, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Mikel Jauregizar, Alex Berenguer, Oihan Sancet, Inaki Williams, Maroan Sannadi.
Arsenal Team News
Arsenal bounced back from a 1-0 loss to Liverpool beating Nottingham Forest 3-0.
Unfortunately for the Gunners, the game did result in captain, Martin Odegaard re-injuring his shoulder.
Elsewhere William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz all remain out for this game.
Possible Lineup
David Raya (GK), Myles Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel, Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White, Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Ebrechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke
Athletic Club vs. Arsenal Picks
Arsenal presents a huge test for Athletic Club and if last season’s European performances present anything, then it doesn’t look promising for the Spanish side.
That being said, Arsenal is likely to make changes to their team and that could open the door for a side that has started the campaign well, despite their two last losses.
If Athletic Club can survive 45 minutes, they could have a chance, otherwise it’s all Arsenal in this game.
Other markets include Viktor Gyokeres to score two or more goals, Noni Madueke to get two or more assists and Mikel Merino to get two or more shots on target.
