Inaki Williams’ Athletic Club suffer home defeat in UCL opener against Arsenal

Athletic Club’s long-awaited return to the UEFA Champions League ended in disappointment as the Basque side fell 0–2 to a clinical Arsenal at a packed San Mamés on Tuesday night.

Captain Iñaki Williams, who led the team out for their first Champions League match in over a decade, was unable to inspire a result as second-half substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard secured the points for the Premier League side.

After a tightly contested opening 70 minutes, Arsenal broke the deadlock against the run of play. Martinelli, who had just entered the pitch, finished a swift counterattack just 36 seconds after being introduced, with Trossard providing the assist.

Trossard then turned scorer in the 87th minute, converting a cutback from Martinelli to seal a valuable away win for Mikel Arteta’s side.

The defeat marks a harsh welcome back to Europe’s elite competition for Athletic Club, who now face a challenging trip to Signal Iduna Park to face Borussia Dortmund on October 1 in their next Champions League fixture. Before that they will be aiming to bounce back to winning ways as they lock horns with Valencia, Girona and Villarreal.

Arsenal, meanwhile, will host Greek side Olympiacos in their next Group Stage fixture.