Athletic Club vs Atlético de Madrid: San Mamés Demands a Different Kind of Answer
Three matches have produced very different starting points for these two historic clubs, and that contrast gives this fourth-round meeting its edge.
Athletic Club have three points after opening the campaign with defeats against Sevilla and Barcelona before responding with a 2-0 victory away to Celta Vigo.
Atlético Madrid arrive unbeaten on seven points, having collected two wins and one draw while scoring seven goals and conceding three.
The league numbers also show a difference in rhythm: Athletic have scored three times and conceded five, whereas Atlético have already combined their attacking output with a tighter defensive record.
Yet the location changes the equation, because San Mamés gives Edin Terzić’s side an environment suited to the aggressive pressing game he has openly promised to maintain.
For Atlético, the challenge is to avoid being dragged into rushed possession and instead use their technical quality and experience to control the spaces created by Athletic’s pressure.
Terzić has been unusually clear about the approach he wants from Athletic: intense pressure first, followed by collective attacking movement rather than a change of identity because of the opponent.
He also rejected the idea that Atlético should simply be described as a defensive side, pointing instead to the talent Diego Simeone now has in midfield and the different ways the Madrid side can alter its play during a match.
That observation is important because Simeone’s preparation has focused on escaping Athletic’s pressure, including longer passes when a central defender is pulled toward the flank.
The Atlético coach has also stressed depth and warned his players against allowing Athletic to play behind them, identifying the wide areas as a particular source of danger.
The tactical duel therefore begins before either penalty area: Athletic want to force uncomfortable decisions high up the pitch, while Atlético want enough composure to turn that pressure into open-field opportunities.
The side that wins those first exchanges could dictate whether the match becomes a territorial battle or a sequence of fast transitions.
🚑 Squad Availability Under the Microscope
Athletic Club’s official medical information confirms several absences that affect both defensive depth and midfield options before the match.
Unai Egiluz remains in recovery from a knee injury and was not assigned a first-team squad number for this stage of the season, while Peio Canales was diagnosed on September 1 with a moderate muscle injury in his left soleus.
Beñat Prados is also unavailable after Athletic confirmed a mild muscle injury in the rectus femoris of his left leg, while Terzić previously confirmed that Dani Vivian needed further recovery before becoming available.
Atlético’s official medical report identifies Alexander Sørloth as unavailable after a muscle contracture, with the striker following an individualized training programme while his recovery is monitored.
The latest official Atlético team sheet confirms that Sørloth is not involved, while Ademola Lookman is fit enough to start despite earlier concerns surrounding his physical condition.
No suspended player has been inserted into the injury tables below, because the requested categories are restricted to genuine injury statuses rather than disciplinary absences.
| Athletic Club — Official Injury Status |
| Category |
Player |
Injury / Status |
| Long-Term / IR |
Unai Egiluz |
Knee injury — continuing recovery |
| Out / Ruled Out |
Dani Vivian |
Adductor injury — further recovery required |
| Out / Ruled Out |
Beñat Prados |
Muscle injury in the left rectus femoris |
| Out / Ruled Out |
Peio Canales |
Moderate muscle injury in the left soleus |
| Atlético de Madrid — Official Injury Status |
| Category |
Player |
Injury / Status |
| Out / Ruled Out |
Alexander Sørloth |
Muscle contracture — individualized training programme |
📋 The Matchday Elevens Are Set
The official team sheet removes the remaining selection uncertainty and reveals two sides choosing distinctly different attacking references within their respective structures.
Athletic start with Unai Simón behind Jesús Areso, Yeray Álvarez, Aymeric Laporte and Yuri Berchiche, with Beñat Gerenabarrena and Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta providing the midfield base.
Oihan Sancet operates ahead of that pairing, while Robert Navarro and the Williams brothers give Athletic considerable pace and one-versus-one threat around the attacking line.
Atlético respond with Jan Oblak in goal and a back four of Marcos Llorente, Dávid Hancko, Marc Pubill and Alejandro Grimaldo, followed by Pablo Barrios and Morten Hjulmand in midfield.
Álex Baena and Kang-in Lee are joined by Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman in a highly mobile attacking unit, giving Simeone several players capable of changing positions during possession.
The confirmed selections make the central tactical question especially clear: can Athletic’s pressure disrupt Atlético’s build-up before Baena, Lee, Lookman and Giuliano find the spaces Terzić is trying to close?
| Athletic Club — Confirmed Starting XI |
| Position |
Player |
Role |
| Goalkeeper |
Unai Simón |
Goalkeeper |
| Defender |
Jesús Areso |
Right-back |
| Defender |
Yeray Álvarez |
Centre-back |
| Defender |
Aymeric Laporte |
Centre-back |
| Defender |
Yuri Berchiche |
Left-back |
| Midfielder |
Beñat Gerenabarrena |
Central midfield |
| Midfielder |
Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta |
Central midfield |
| Attacking midfielder |
Oihan Sancet |
Advanced creator |
| Forward |
Robert Navarro |
Attacking flank |
| Forward |
Iñaki Williams |
Forward |
| Forward |
Nico Williams |
Forward |
| Atlético de Madrid — Confirmed Starting XI |
| Position |
Player |
Role |
| Goalkeeper |
Jan Oblak |
Goalkeeper |
| Defender |
Marcos Llorente |
Right side |
| Defender |
Dávid Hancko |
Centre-back |
| Defender |
Marc Pubill |
Centre-back |
| Defender |
Alejandro Grimaldo |
Left side |
| Midfielder |
Pablo Barrios |
Central midfield |
| Midfielder |
Morten Hjulmand |
Central midfield |
| Attacker |
Álex Baena |
Creative attacker |
| Attacker |
Kang-in Lee |
Creative attacker |
| Forward |
Giuliano Simeone |
Forward |
| Forward |
Ademola Lookman |
Forward |
- Athletic Club: Oihan Sancet and the Williams brothers are central to the home side’s attacking acceleration.
- Atlético Madrid: Álex Baena, Ademola Lookman and Kang-in Lee provide multiple routes through Athletic’s pressure.
- Goalkeeping: Unai Simón and Jan Oblak give both sides elite experience behind contrasting tactical approaches.
| Athletic Club — Key Personnel |
| Function |
Player |
Match Influence |
| Creative hub |
Oihan Sancet |
Connects midfield possession with the attacking line |
| Direct threat |
Iñaki Williams |
Provides pace and depth against a high defensive line |
| Wide threat |
Nico Williams |
Can isolate defenders and attack space from wide areas |
| Atlético de Madrid — Key Personnel |
| Function |
Player |
Match Influence |
| Creative outlet |
Álex Baena |
Arrives in strong form after scoring twice against Sevilla |
| Transition threat |
Ademola Lookman |
Can attack the spaces created when Athletic press high |
| Control point |
Pablo Barrios |
Important for Atlético’s circulation through central areas |
The pre-match messages from both benches point toward a contest neither coach expects to be passive, although their definitions of control are different.
Terzić has called the fixture a major opportunity to take three important home points and insists Athletic will continue pressing and attacking collectively rather than adapting its identity to Atlético.
Simeone’s preparation has concentrated on solving the first phase of Athletic’s pressure, with particular attention to circulation, longer release passes and the need to attack the space behind the Basque defensive line.
Atlético also arrive with a demanding September ahead, including the Champions League visit to Liverpool after this match, making efficient management of the squad and the game state especially important.
Athletic, meanwhile, have the psychological lift of their first victory under Terzić and now face the opportunity to turn that improvement into something more substantial against one of the league’s early unbeaten sides.
Variation rule: this article deliberately builds the narrative around the pressure-versus-escape tactical dilemma, with the official lineups revealed only after the medical and coaching perspectives rather than using the starting XI as the opening point.
