Arsenal begin another Champions League adventure tomorrow evening with a trip to Spain to face Athletic Bilbao.
Mikel Arteta’s side reached the semi-finals last season, but were dumped out by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.
After a summer of lavish spending, the pressure is on Arsenal to start delivering big trophies – and this is one the North Londoners have never lifted.
Check out our preview for Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal, with sports betting tips featuring the latest odds for your Champions League bet.
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Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal Preview
Arsenal were hugely impressive in their first match after the international break, beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 in a convincing display at the Emirates.
Goals from summer signings Martin Zubimendi (x2) and Viktor Gyokeres left Gunners fans in jubilant spirits at full-time, with fellow arrivals Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera also delivering positive performances.
Even without Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Kai Havertz, Arsenal were far too strong for Forest, while Declan Rice was handed a much-needed rest ahead of this match.
The Gunners’ display without so many key players, including Martin Odegaard who left the pitch early with a shoulder injury, highlights just how much stronger the squad is now.
It remains to be seen whether Odegaard or Saliba will feature tomorrow, while Saka and Havertz are certain to miss out.
But while Arsenal responded to a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool in a fantastic manner, Bilbao could not bounce back from their own setback in La Liga.
The Basque outfit lost 1-0 at home to Osasuna before the international break, and suffered another 1-0 loss at San Mames vs Alaves last Saturday.
Bilbao are struggling a tad, not helped by the continued absence of Nico Williams, who will miss this match through an injury picked up on Spain duty.
So it is no surprise to see Arsenal as the big pre-match favourites here, especially after their Champions League performances on Spanish soil last season.
The Gunners beat Girona 2-1 in the League Phase, and then defeated Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabeu to secure their place in the semi-finals.
Furthermore, Arsenal claimed a 3-0 victory over Bilbao in a recent pre-season friendly, with Gyokeres among the scorers that day.
Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Arsenal are priced at just 1.88 to claim the win on Matchday 1 of the Champions League season. Bilbao are at odds of 4.30, while the draw is 3.51.
Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal Betting Tips
Anytime goalscorer – Viktor Gyokeres @ 2.10
Gyokeres has three goals in his first four Premier League appearances for Arsenal – and looks to be getting better with each outing. The Swede loves this competition too, having netted six goals in eight Champions League matches with Sporting Lisbon in 2024-25.
Gabriel Magalhaes to have over 0.5 shots on target @ 4.33
It is no secret that Arsenal love testing teams from set-pieces, and in a hostile San Mames environment, this path to goal is one Arteta’s side may lean on even more. And Gabriel seems to always make contact with Rice’s pinpoint deliveries, so the odds here could represent fantastic value.
Martin Zubimendi to commit over 1.5 fouls @ 2.25
Zubimendi will be in the heat of battle, and his past affiliation with Bilbao’s fierce rivals Real Sociedad only adds to the narrative here. The Arsenal midfielder has committed eight fouls already in the Premier League this season, an average of two per game.
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