Athletic Bilbao suffered a 3-1 defeat to Sevilla in the La Liga opener at San Mamés, with goals from Oso, Chidera Ejuke and Isaac Romero, while Yuri Berchiche received a straight red card in the 11th minute.
The impact of the early red card
Berchiche's dismissal left Athletic with ten men for over 80 minutes, making it difficult to contain Sevilla's persistent attack.
Negative defensive record
This result equals the club's negative defensive milestone from last season, when they conceded 58 goals, the fifth-worst defensive record in the division.
Comparison with Real Madrid
Last season, Athletic only conceded three goals at home in a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid.
Terzic's defensive challenge
Manager Edin Terzic faces an urgent task to restore a defense that kept Unai Simón's Zamora Trophy in 2023-24 and conceded the fewest goals in 2024-25.
Next challenge: Barcelona
Athletic will travel to Barcelona on Thursday, where the hosts defeated Elche 5-0 in their opener, with Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo forming an attack that averaged 2.5 goals per game last season.
Current context Dani Vivian is currently sidelined, adding to Athletic's defensive concerns.
Conclusion The 3-1 loss to Sevilla marks a difficult start for Athletic Bilbao, who must improve their defense to compete in La Liga.
