Everything Newcastle United fans need to know about Athletic Club for crucial Champions League clash

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Newcastle United take on Athletic Club in the Champions League on Wednesday and here’s what you need to know about the team from Bilbao.

After a disastrous defeat to West Ham United on Sunday, Newcastle United are aiming to bounce back immediately when they return to Champions League action against Athletic Club.

Eddie Howe’s side have looked good in Europe this season, even if their Premier League form has been uneven, and will be aiming to move closer to securing a knock-out place at St. James’ Park.

One of Europe’s most famous clubs stands in their way this week, though, as Bilbao’s Athletic Club visit the North East.

Here is everything you need to know about them.

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Athletic Club’s form this season

It’s not been a great start to the season for Athletic, who sit in 11th place in the La Liga table with just four wins in their first 11 games. They have suffered five defeats, two draws and have a -2 goal difference.

They haven’t even faced either Madrid side or Barcelona yet, either.

A loss in the Basque derby at the weekend was particularly stinging as they twice fought back to 2-2 before falling to a 92nd-minute Real Sociedad winner.

Athletic actually won their first three league games of the season in August, but have won just once since then in early October.

In the Champions League, Athletic lost to Arsenal in their first match and were hammered by Borussia Dortmund, but won their first European game against Qarabag last time out.

Athletic Club’s Champions League stats compared with Newcastle United

Here’s how Athletic’s stats in Europe this season compare with Newcastle’s after three games.

Athletic danger man Nico Williams could miss the game

Nico Williams is easily Athletic’s best player, with the winger starring in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph last year alongside Lamine Yamal.

However, Williams is a doubt for Wednesday’s game after the forward missed out on training on Monday with a pubalgia problem.

Meanwhile, midfielder Benat Prados and defender Unai Egiluz are sidelined with ACL tears. Meanwhile, centre-back Yeray Alvarez is serving a doping ban for using a medicine to try and combat alopecia, which he has been struggling with since undergoing treatment for testicular cancer.

Athletic Club’s summer transfers

It was a quiet summer transfer window for Athletic but a celebrated one as they managed to keep hold of the Williams brothers, with Nico especially generating transfer speculation.

Given their policy of Basque-only players, there is usually not much room to make signings anyway, but there was a return for former defender Aymeric Laporte in a marquee addition.

Their summer signings were:

• Aymeric Laporte – Al-Nassr – £8.8m
• Jesus Areso – Osasuna – £10.5m
• Robert Navarro – Mallorca – Free

Athletic Club Champions League squad

Thanks to the club’s famed academy, Athletic have a huge wealth of youngsters who can play and make their squad larger than most in the competition.

Here is the squad of players that Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde has to choose from in the Champions League:

Goalkeepers: Unai Simon, Mikel Santos, Alex Padilla, Eric Gamen, Simon Garcia

Defenders: Andoni Gorosabel, Daniel Vivian, Aitor Paredes, Jesus Areso, Aymeric Laporte, Inigo Lekue, Yuri Berchiche, Adama Boiro, Jon de Luis, Txus Vizcay, Miguel Barandalla, Ander Izaguirre, Egosa Nomayo, David Osipov.

Midfielders: Mikel Vesga, Alex Berenguer, Oihan Sancet, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Mikel Jauregizar, Unai Gomez, Robert Navarro, Alejandro Rego, Peio Huestamendia, Ibon Sanchez, Elijah Gift, Adrian Lekuna, Telmo Zarandona.

Forwards: Nico Williams, Inaki Williams, Gorka Guruzeta, Maroan Sannadi, Nico Serrano, Benat Garcia, Asier Hierro, Adrian Perez, Selton Sanchez, Gaizka Alboniga-Menor.