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Athletic Club is an outlier, not just in soccer, but in sports.
Based out of Bilbao, Athletic Club only recruits players from, or with connections to, the Basque Country.
You’d think this policy, which is akin to the Yankees only signing players from New York, would hold back the Lions, but they are one of the most successful clubs in Spain and have never been relegated.
This policy may not be viewed as practical in the modern era, but it is wildly popular among the team’s fanbase and that has led to Athletic Club having one of the best home atmospheres in Europe.
That will be on full display Tuesday as Arsenal visits Estadio de San Mamés for their Champions League opener.
Arsenal travel to Bilbao as odds-on favorites, but there are some signals that suggest that this will be a trickier match than the betting market suggests.
The Gunners are off to a strong start in the Premier League with three wins and a loss through their first four matches, but their plus-eight goal difference is buoyed by two whitewash victories against Nottingham Forest and Leeds United.
Arsenal lost, 1-0, to Liverpool in its only stiff test of the season, and the Gunners barely got out of Manchester United with a win.
Athletic Club may not be as dynamic as Liverpool, but its defense was among the best in Europe last season and is off to a magnificent start in 2025-26, having allowed just four goals and 2.2 expected goals (xG) in four matches.
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With the home fans behind them, Athletic Club are a live underdog under the bright lights Tuesday night.
The Play: Athletic Club (+320, bet365)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
