Liverpool vs Athletic Bilbao
The high profile Club Friendly encounters are coming thick and fast right now and this meeting between two clubs who will compete in next season’s Champions League should make compelling viewing.
How much we can read into the contests between last season’s English champions and the fourth best team in Spain remains to be seen as, much to the surprise of this SBOTOP observer, Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao will actually play each other twice on Monday night (British time) with the teams split into two different starting XIs.
With the respective kick-offs, just three hours apart, there should be friendly 2025 highlights aplenty, even if we may not learn too much from the back-to-back encounters.
Talking Points
In truth, the Merseysiders are probably one week ahead of their Basque counterparts in terms of their pre-season preparations.
They probably need to be.
After all, it’s only next weekend that Liverpool meet FA Cup holders Crystal Palace in the Charity Shield.
On saying that, Bilbao have played the same number of friendlies so far. While their record is poor with three straight defeats following victory in their opener, the reality is that results are secondary right now.
The two sets of squads for both fixtures will likely be vastly different. This will allow both managers, home boss Arne Slot and his opposite number Ernesto Valverde, the chance to experiment with new tactics and different combinations.
It is unclear yet whether one match will contain the strongest XI, or if there will be a mixture of starters, squad players and youth-team prospects, but it will undoubtedly be an emotional occasion, as Anfield hosts a match for the first time since the tragic death of Diogo Jota.
While Liverpool have spent big this summer and emerged as clear favourites for the title they won at a canter last term, Bilbao have also been quietly impressive.
Holding onto Nico Williams, who reportedly turned down a lucrative deal to join Spanish champions Barcelona, has been a huge boost and he will lead their charge at home (finished fourth in La Liga last season) and abroad.
He has recently been named the first black captain in the history of the Basque club, a milestone which is significant given the team had never had a black player in their team until as recently as 14 years ago.
With the Williams brothers, Inaki and Nico, firmly in place along with attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet, who ripped up the Primera Division last season, their squad has also been boosted by the arrival of right-back Jesus Areso from Osasuna. The 26 year-old will return to San Mames, where he initially came through the ranks, after an intense battle for his signature with Atletico Madrid.
Winger Robert Navarro has also arrived on a free transfer from Mallorca and a familiar face could soon be reunited with the boys from the Basque country soon.
Aymeric Laporte was a big favourite before a 2018 move to Manchester City and his position at Saudi club Al-Nassr has generated significant speculation in recent weeks.
According to reports, he is keen to leave the Saudi Pro League side in favour of a return to Europe and re-signing for Athletic appears a likely outcome.
Injuries to Aitor Paredes and Unai Egiluz in Athletic’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Racing Santander may leave Valverde’s side struggling defensively for this one.
For the home team, both Federico Chiesa and Joe Gomez are being monitored by the club’s medical team. Chiesa was left out of the Asian tour squad with a muscular issue, while Gomez flew back to England after sustaining an Achilles injury in training last week.
Luis Díaz has moved on from Anfield after completing a £65.5 million move to Bayern Munich.
History
Four times have these sides met competitively, twice in the former Fairs Cup, twice in the European Cup.
Bilbao won the very first clash, a first round Fairs Cup tie in September 1968 which went the way of the home side.
That first leg 2-1 advantage was overturned a fortnight later in the second leg at Anfield which meant the tie stood at 3-3 on aggregate.
Athletic won the coin toss – there were no penalties then – and progressed.
By the time they next met, in the European Cup second round in 1983, the away goal rule was in place.
Not that it was needed as, after a goalless first leg on Merseyside, an Ian Rush goal ensured Liverpool won 1-0 in Spain to reach the quarter-finals and they duly went onto win the tournament.
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