Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain: Prediction, Lineups & Kickoff Time | UEFA Champions League 2025/26

On: December 8, 2025 2:51 AM

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain: Prediction, Lineups & Kickoff Time | UEFA Champions League 2025/26

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Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Match Preview

A pivotal Champions League night awaits at San Mamés on Wednesday, 10 December 2025. The atmosphere will be electric as Athletic Bilbao, currently languishing in 27th place with just 4 points, host French giants Paris Saint-Germain, who sit 2nd in the table with 12 points. For the Basques, this is a “do-or-die” encounter; they must win to break into the Top 24 playoff spots. PSG, meanwhile, arrive in scintillating form, looking to secure a direct route to the Round of 16 as a top-seeded team.

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Match Info

Competition: UEFA Champions League (Matchday 6)
Venue: Estadio San Mamés, Bilbao (Capacity: 53,331)
Date: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Kickoff: 21:00 CET | 20:00 WET | 01:30 IST (Thursday)
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL)

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Match Stakes

Athletic Bilbao (27th — 4 pts):

Win → Climbs to 7 pts, likely entering the Top 24 playoff zone
Draw → Stays in elimination zone; dependent on other results
Loss → Almost certain elimination from Europe

Paris Saint-Germain (2nd — 12 pts):

Win → Consolidates Top 8 spot; challenges for 1st place
Draw → Solidifies knockout qualification but risks dropping seeds
Loss → Could drop out of the Top 8 depending on goal difference

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Team News

Athletic Bilbao:

Unai Simón — Available (Starting GK)
Iñaki Williams — Questionable (Muscle fatigue)
Yeray Álvarez — Out (Hamstring)

Paris Saint-Germain:

Lucas Hernández — Out (Knee)
Presnel Kimpembe — Out (Achilles)
Gonçalo Ramos — Available (Returning from rotation)

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)

Athletic Bilbao

07/12 — 1–0 vs Atl. Madrid (La Liga)
03/12 — 0–3 vs Real Madrid (La Liga)
29/11 — 2–0 vs Levante (La Liga)
26/11 — 0–0 vs Slavia Prague (UCL)
22/11 — 0–4 vs Barcelona (La Liga)

Paris Saint-Germain

07/12 — 5–0 vs Rennes (Ligue 1)
29/11 — 0–1 vs Monaco (Ligue 1)
27/11 — 5–3 vs Tottenham (UCL)
23/11 — 3–0 vs Le Havre (Ligue 1)
10/11 — 3–2 vs Lyon (Ligue 1)

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Head-to-Head (Last Meetings)

14/12/2011 — PSG 4–2 Athletic Bilbao (Europa League)
29/09/2011 — Athletic Bilbao 2–0 PSG (Europa League)

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)

Athletic Bilbao (4-2-3-1)

Agirrezabala J. (or Simon); De Marcos O., Vivian D., Paredes A., Yuri B.; Ruiz de Galarreta I., Prados B.; Williams I. (if fit), Sancet O., Williams N.; Guruzeta G.

Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3)

Donnarumma G.; Hakimi A., Marquinhos, Pacho W., Mendes N.; Zaïre-Emery W., Vitinha, Neves J.; Dembélé O., Kolo Muani R., Barcola B.

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Impact Bench

Athletic Bilbao: Berenguer (Winger pace), Djaló (Direct threat vs tired legs)

Paris Saint-Germain: Lee Kang-in (Creative spark), Asensio (Long-range shooting)

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Tactical Analysis

Athletic Bilbao

Ernesto Valverde knows his team cannot match PSG technically, so they will rely on the intensity of San Mamés. Expect a high line of engagement to disrupt PSG’s build-up, with quick transitions aimed at Nico Williams isolating Achraf Hakimi. Set-pieces will be crucial, as PSG historically struggle defending aerial balls.

Paris Saint-Germain

Luis Enrique’s side is devastating in transition. With Hakimi and Mendes bombing forward, they create overloads on the wings. The key will be Vitinha controlling the tempo in midfield to silence the crowd. If Bilbao press too high, the pace of Barcola and Dembélé in behind could kill the game early.

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Key Battles

Yuri vs Dembélé — pace mismatch on the flank
Vivian vs Kolo Muani — physical duel in the box
Sancet vs Neves — battle for space between the lines
Nico Williams vs Hakimi — the highlight duel of the night

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Spotlight Players

Athletic Bilbao — Nico Williams

The Euro star is the one player who can terrorize any defense. Bilbao need him to be at his absolute best to exploit the space behind Hakimi.

Paris Saint-Germain — Bradley Barcola

In red-hot form, the young winger has become PSG’s primary goal threat. His ability to cut inside and finish makes him a nightmare for defenders.

Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain — Prediction

Athletic Bilbao 1–2 Paris Saint-Germain

San Mamés is a fortress, and Bilbao’s win against Atletico shows they can turn up for big games. However, PSG’s attack is simply too potent. Bilbao will score, but PSG’s quality in the final third should see them edge a thrilling contest.