: Athletic Bilbao equal unwanted defensive record after 3-1 defeat to Sevilla in La Liga opener

Athletic Bilbaosuffered a difficult start to the new La Liga season following a 3-1 defeat against Sevilla at San Mames. The match took a disastrous turn early on when defender Yuri Berchiche received a straight red card after just 11 minutes. Forced to play with ten men for over 80 minutes, Edin Terzic's side struggled to contain a persistent Sevilla attack. Individual errors proved costly as the Lions immediately equalled a negative defensive milestone from the previous campaign.

Last season, Athletic only conceded three goals at home on one single occasion during a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid. That defensive solidity has quickly evaporated, with Sevilla breaching Unai Simón's goal three times courtesy of strikes from Oso, Chidera Ejuke, and Isaac Romero. Compounding the early red card were critical errors, including Aitor Paredes' concession, Simón's lapse in concentration for the opener, and Jesus Areso's unfortunate backheel that led to the third. Terzic faces an urgent task to restore the watertight rearguard that won Simón the Zamora Trophy in 2023-24 and conceded the fewest goals in 2024-25.

The opening-day collapse echoes alarming defensive vulnerabilities that plagued Athletic throughout the 2025-26 season, where they leaked 58 goals—the fifth-worst defensive record in the division. While Aitor Paredes managed to pull a goal back in the second half, the damage was already done. Terzic must quickly address these structural lapses if the Basque club are to rediscover the resilience that once made San Mamés an impregnable fortress.

Relief will not come easy as Athletic face a swift and formidable turnaround with a trip to face Barcelona on Thursday. Barcelona enter the fixture brimming with confidence after thrashing Elche 5-0 in their opener, underlining an attack featuring Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Dani Olmo that averaged 2.5 goals per game last term. With Athletic having managed only a handful of clean sheets last season, Terzic's depleted and bruised side face a monumental test to halt their early-season momentum slide.