Athletic vs Sevilla: Kickoff, form and team news
Kicks off August 22, 2026, at 11:00 AM at San Mamés in Bilbao. Sevilla bring early momentum, while Athletic face injury issues and a shaky pre-season.
BILBAO — Athletic vs Sevilla takes place on August 22, 2026, at 11:00 AM at San Mamés, with both sides trying to set the tone early in the 2026/27 LaLiga season. The match is available to watch live in the United States across several platforms, according to Goal.
Sevilla arrive with the stronger opening position after beating Rayo Vallecano 2-1 on August 15. Athletic, by contrast, are looking to steady themselves after a pre-season that ended with back-to-back losses to Atalanta and Marseille, even though they also recorded wins over Burgos CF and Racing Santander.
Athletic vs Sevilla and the early table picture
The standings give this fixture extra weight. Sevilla sit fourth with three points after the opening round, while Athletic are 15th with zero points, according to the supplied reports. That gap is small this early, but a win in Bilbao would carry a clear message for either side.
For Sevilla, the trip comes with momentum and a chance to back up their opening-day result. For Athletic, it is a chance to answer the questions that followed their uneven pre-season. San Mamés should help. The stadium is one of the most atmospheric in Spanish football, and Athletic will want that edge to show from the first whistle.
Team news shapes Athletic vs Sevilla
The visitors have injury and suspension concerns. Kike Salas is suspended, while Marcao, Alfon Gonzalez and Adnan Januzaj are among those listed as injured, which narrows Luis Garcia’s options in key areas. Athletic also have absences, with Daniel Vivian and Benat Prados among the players unavailable, leaving Edin Terzic with less room to rotate.
The team sheets from recent fixtures point to the shape of the contest. Athletic’s previous lineup included Álex Padilla, Dani Vivian, Aitor Paredes, Yeray Álvarez, Adama Boiro, Iñigo de Galarreta, Mikel Jauregizar, Iñaki Williams, Unai Gómez, Robert Navarro and Gorka Guruzeta. Sevilla’s last starting XI featured Odysseas Vlachodimos, Juan Iglesias, Arouna Sangante, Kike Salas, Gabriel Suazo, Nico Guillén, Lucien Agoumé, Miguel Sierra, Jon Guridi, Oso and Isaac Romero.
Robbie Ure has also been described as Sevilla’s reference in attack in the live match context, while Nico Williams starts on the bench, according to the match update in the source material. That detail matters. Athletic lose a direct threat from the opening minutes, while Sevilla get a clearer sense of how they want to manage the game.
The rivalry itself adds another layer. The two clubs have met 183 times, with Athletic holding 77 wins to Sevilla’s 73. At San Mamés, Athletic have the upper hand with 60 wins in 92 matches, while Sevilla have taken 21 victories there. In the Spanish League, Sevilla edge the series slightly with 67 wins in 164 matches, compared with 65 for Athletic and 32 draws.
There is also a coaching angle worth watching. Luis Garcia has faced Athletic 13 times, with three wins, three draws and seven defeats, while Edin Terzic has met Sevilla four times and has two wins and two draws. Small numbers, but they point to a matchup where both dugouts know the other side well.
The last meeting finished 2-1 to Sevilla. This one arrives with a different balance, a tighter early table, and San Mamés expecting a fast start.
