Athletic Bilbao Vs PSG: Defending Champion Targets Fifth Victory

JAKARTA - Athletic Bilbao will host Paris Saint-Germain at San Mames on Wednesday evening 10 December local time in the 2025-2026 Champions League league phase continued. This match features two teams with different fates, where PSG came as defending champion and fifth winner hunter, while Athletic is still struggling at bottom of the overall standings.

Athletic have only collected four points from their first five Champions League games this season. Their position slumped to 27th, but the distance was still narrow to the playoffs zone so the chances remained open. Their performance went up and down, but four points from the last three matches gave a little breath, including a win over Qarabag and a draw with Slavia Prague.

The difficulty was also seen in La Liga, as80 Valverde's side had only packed 23 points from 16 matches. The result kept them stuck in seventh place, far from the top four. Even so, a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid last Saturday gave a moral shot. Alex Berenguer's goal in the final minute made the atmosphere of San Mames pulsate again ahead of the duel against PSG.

PSG came to Basque with a more convincing note. Luis Enrique's lead team has collected 12 points from five matches, placing them in second place in the Champions League standings. They are three points adrift of Arsenal who are the only team with a perfect record.

Despite their sharp goal productivity with a collection of 19 goals, PSG took on problems on the back. They have conceded eight goals so far, including the crazy match against Tottenham which ended 5-3. The defeat to Bayern Munich in Paris last month also shows a gap that Enrique still has to tidy up if he wants to defend the trophy.

In Ligue 1, PSG is also not really comfortable. They sit in second place with 33 points, one point behind Lens. The defeat at home to Monaco at the end of November exacerbated their consistency. But a 5-0 win over Rennes last weekend again pumped confidence ahead of this difficult away game.

Athletic lost Aitor Paredes due to suspension. Yeray Alvarez is still serving a lengthy sentence related to doping, while Robert Navarro, Benat Prados, Unai Egiluz, Maroan Sannadi and Inaki Williams are injured. Aymeric Laporte was also absent due to an injury against Atletico. Nico Williams remains the main focus on the front lines.

PSG was not strengthened by Lucas Hernandez who was hit by a red card against Tottenham. Desire Doue and Achraf Hakimi are confirmed to be absent. Nuno Mendes, Lucas Beraldo and Lucas Chevalier's condition had to be seen ahead of the match. Ousmane Dembele, who has yet to start in the Champions League this season, is finally scheduled to appear from the first minute. Bradley Barcola has the potential to step down as a false nine.

This match is predicted to take place one-sidedly because the Athletic defense issue has not been resolved. PSG, which appeared more complete and sharp in the front line, is favored to take home three points.

This match is an important event for both teams, with PSG chasing the top position and Athletic trying to maintain the hopes of a playoffs. On stage like this, small details are often the decisive difference.

Estimated score: Athletic Bilbao 1-3 Paris Saint-Germain.