Atlético Madrid head to Bilbao this weekend for their fourth-round La Liga meeting with Athletic Club, carrying momentum from last weekend’s 3-1 win over Sevilla. Diego Simeone’s team has also had the better of this matchup recently, winning six of the last 10 meetings.
The trip comes at an important point in the standings conversation for both sides. Atlético are trying to build on an encouraging start after a strong away result, while Athletic Club enter the match with one win in three matches under new boss Edin Terzić. That gives this fixture a little extra weight, even this early in the season.
Recent meetings favor Atlético Madrid
The most recent head-to-head in April finished 3-1 to Atlético Madrid, with Antoine Griezmann and Alexander Sørloth among the goalscorers. That result is a useful reminder of how often Simeone’s side have been able to manage this opponent in recent seasons.
There is still a long way to go in the campaign, but recent history suggests Atlético have found a way to handle Athletic Club more often than not. That matters in a league where early points can quickly shape the tone of the standings.
Athletic Club are still searching for rhythm
Athletic Club’s 2-0 away win over Celta Vigo last week, with Unai Simón keeping a clean sheet, showed they can still produce a controlled result under Terzić. Even so, the broader start has been mixed, with just one win in three matches.
For Athletic, the next step is consistency. For Atlético, it is about turning a solid opening stretch into a more complete run. The standings will not be decided in September, but matches like this can influence how quickly each club settles into its place.
What Atlético’s latest moves add
Atlético also made changes right before the transfer deadline this week, signing Jonathan David on loan from Juventus and sending Josema Giménez on loan to Deportivo de A Coruña. Those moves add another layer to a squad already trying to balance form, depth and momentum.
For Simeone, the focus now is simple: keep the positives from the Sevilla win, carry them into Bilbao, and see whether Atlético can continue their strong recent record in this fixture.
