For the first time since 1998, Athletic Club have reached the group stages of the biggest European club football competition. It’s a huge moment for the Basque Country club, but now comes the hard part ... advancing. There’s every reason to believe that Athletic Club could get out of Group H, but they need to get off to a good start at home against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Athletic Club vs. Shakhtar Donetsk, 2014 UEFA Champions League: Team news and game preview
After a 16 year hiatus from major European football, Athletic Bilbao open their campaign against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk.
Key Player: Beñat (Athletic Club)
In the middle of Athletic Club’s talented attack stands Beñat, a 27-year-old attacking midfielder who remains relatively unknown to people who don’t regularly watch La Liga. Thanks to the gluttony of talented midfielders that Spain has produced over the past few years, Beñat is a bit of a forgotten man thanks to a lack of national team exposure. Despite those slights, he’s still one of the better midfielders in the league, and one of Bilbao’s most important players because he’s not only influential in the attack, he’s a tenacious defender as well.
Key Matchup: The Battle in the Midfield
In all likelihood, this match will be decided in the midfield on Wednesday. Both Atheltic Club and Shakhtar are attacking minded teams, both sides are going to try and score goals, so while the defenses will be tested, who controls the middle of the pitch will probably have the edge. This could be where Athletic Club have a slight advantage. As good as Shakhtar is, their deeper midfielders tend to press forward rather aggressively, leaving openings that could be exploited by the likes of Beñat and Iker Muniain.
Athletic Club injuries and suspensions
Out: Kike Sola (muscle).
Shakhtar Donetsk injuries and suspensions
In Doubt: Olexandr Kucher (undisclosed).
Neither side is facing major injury problems, with Athletic Club’s Kike Sola the only player confirmed out of the match with a torn muscle.
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 8:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: San Mamés, Bilbao, Spain
TV: FOX Soccer Plus, DirecTV (U.S.), Sky Sports Red Button (U.K.), C+ Liga de Campeones 2/HD, Canal+ Yomvi (Spain), Kanal 5 Ukrania, Futbol 2 (Ukraine)
Online: FOX Soccer 2Go, ESPN3 (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), SkyGo (U.K.)
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