Athletic Club host Qarabağ FK on Wednesday at San Mamés, aiming to earn their first points in the new Champions League league phase as the Azerbaijani side look to extend their perfect start.
Athletic Club and Qarabağ FK will meet for the first time in UEFA competition on Wednesday in Bilbao, with contrasting form setting the tone for their Champions League league phase fixture.
The Spanish side sit 35th in the 36-team table with no points after defeats to Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund. Qarabağ, by contrast, have stunned Group A by winning both of their opening matches — 3-2 away to Benfica and 2-0 at home against Copenhagen — and are currently 10th.
The match kicks off at 16:45 UTC (18:45 CET) under the officiating of Croatian referee Igor Pajac.
Athletic are without suspended centre-back Yeray Álvarez, while Beñat Prados and Unai Egiluz remain sidelined with long-term injuries. Aymeric Laporte is doubtful with an ankle problem. Coach Ernesto Valverde is expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 system, leaning on attacking threats from Iñaki and Nico Williams, Oihan Sancet and Gorka Guruzeta.
Qarabağ travel to Spain with a full squad and buoyed by six consecutive victories in all competitions. Head coach Gurban Gurbanov has led the side since 2008 and favours a possession-based approach. Wingers Leandro Andrade and Abdellah Zoubir, along with playmaker Kady Borges, form the attacking core, while Polish goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski has kept three clean sheets so far in the campaign.
This is Athletic’s first Champions League campaign since 2014–15, while Qarabağ last reached the group stage in 2017–18. The top eight teams from this season’s league phase will qualify directly for the round of 16, with clubs finishing 9th to 24th entering playoff ties.
Wednesday’s match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports in the UK, Paramount+ in the U.S., and streamed online via discovery+.
Slovenia has become the latest country to pull out of next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, joining Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands in a widening ...
A UK public inquiry concluded on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin must have ordered the 2018 Novichok nerve agent attack on former Russi...
Israel was given the green light to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday, after the organising body decided not to hold a vote ...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed on Thursday (December 4) that responsibility for the 2018 Novichok attack in Salisbury lies with Russia...
Azerbaijan cannot yet provide a timeline for the large-scale return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to extensive landmine contamination in ...
Slovenia has become the latest country to pull out of next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, joining Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands in a widening boycott triggered by the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision to allow Israel to participate.
Israel was given the green light to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday, after the organising body decided not to hold a vote on its inclusion, despite threats of boycotts from some countries over the Gaza conflict.
Azerbaijan cannot yet provide a timeline for the large-scale return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to extensive landmine contamination in former conflict zones, the country’s presidential representative on special assignments, Elchin Amirbayov, said on Thursday.
Russian authorities have blocked access to the Snapchat app, citing its alleged use for criminal activity in the country.
For nearly three decades following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the international system was defined by a singular, overwhelming reality: American unipolarity.
Chinese scientists have unveiled a new gene-editing therapy that they say could lead to a functional cure for HIV, making it one of the most promising developments in decades of global research.
Faced with mounting public outrage following one of the deadliest environmental disasters in the nation’s recent history, the Indonesian government has pledged to investigate and potentially shut down mining operations found to have contributed to the catastrophic flooding on Sumatra.
As the year comes to an end, a new initiative bringing civil society actors and regional analysts from Armenia and Azerbaijan together is steadily gaining ground.
Uzbekistan has reopened its border with Afghanistan for the first time since 2021, the country’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on Tuesday.
Slovenia has become the latest country to pull out of next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, joining Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands in a widening boycott triggered by the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision to allow Israel to participate.
A UK public inquiry concluded on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin must have ordered the 2018 Novichok nerve agent attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, describing it as a "reckless" display of power that led to the tragic death of an innocent woman.
Israel was given the green light to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday, after the organising body decided not to hold a vote on its inclusion, despite threats of boycotts from some countries over the Gaza conflict.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed on Thursday (December 4) that responsibility for the 2018 Novichok attack in Salisbury lies with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following the conclusion of a public inquiry into the poisoning.
Russian authorities have blocked access to the Snapchat app, citing its alleged use for criminal activity in the country.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment