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Athletic Bilbao's Europa League Journey: Qualifies as Group Runner-Up, Faces Ligue 1 Opponent in Round of 16
Updated:2025-11-22 08:33 Views:146Athletic Bilbao's journey through the Europa League has been a rollercoaster ride so far. The Basque club has qualified for the group stage of the tournament and has performed well throughout their group stages.
The first round saw Athletic Bilbao take on Eintracht Frankfurt, who they defeated comfortably with a scoreline of 2-1. The second round saw them face AC Milan, but they were unable to progress due to a goal difference of 2-4.
However, they bounced back in the third round by defeating Rennes 2-1. In the fourth round, they faced FC Porto, who had previously beaten Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals. Despite being a strong team, Athletic Bilbao managed to hold them to a 1-1 draw, setting up a crucial match against Dinamo Zagreb in the last sixteen.
In the fifth round, Athletic Bilbao took on Dinamo Zagreb at home. They dominated the game and were awarded a penalty kick, which was converted by Alvaro Morata to give Athletic Bilbao a comfortable 2-0 lead. However, Dinamo Zagreb fought back and scored two goals in the final ten minutes to level the game. Despite this, Athletic Bilbao held on to win the match 3-2 on penalties.
In the round of 16, Athletic Bilbao will face Ligue 1 opponents Paris Saint-Germain. This is a tough challenge for the Basques, who have never won a major European competition before. However, they have shown that they can compete with the best teams in Europe, and it would be a great achievement if they could progress to the semi-finals.
Overall, Athletic Bilbao's journey through the Europa League has been impressive so far. They have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with in European football, and they will undoubtedly continue to improve over time. It will be exciting to see how they perform against PSG in the round of 16, and we look forward to seeing what they achieve in this prestigious tournament.
