A Goalless Draw Leaves a Lacklustre Athletic with Slim Chances
The Basque team, better than Slavia, squandered a triple chance by Robert Navarro in Prague, missing out on a crucial victory for advancing in the Champions League.
José Manuel Andrés
Madrid
Tuesday, 25 November 2025, 23:10
Inaccuracy in front of goal once again hindered Athletic in a match where they virtually surrendered their last chances of progressing in the Champions League. The goalless draw against a gritty Slavia, as harsh as the sleet and cold of a Prague night, forces the Bilbao team to aim for a full sweep against PSG, Atalanta, and Sporting Lisbon, a daunting task.
With injuries and rotations, Athletic fielded a lineup that was a mix of the familiar and the new, missing Iñaki Williams and with Nico Williams, Laporte, and Jauregizar on the bench. The Basque team, lacking the depth of European giants, is feeling the strain of the Champions League, compelling Valverde to manage his resources carefully.
Thus, without some of their key players, the Lions embarked on a mission to secure a victory that would extend their chances of reaching the next stage against Slavia's fervour. Their initial display was commendable, with a serious threat through counterattacks, but Sancet failed to score against Stanek, the local goalkeeper. The red-and-white number '8' took centre stage early on, seeking redemption after his expulsion against Barça, and Athletic capitalised on the Czech side's turnovers to threaten in transition.
Slavia
Stanek, Doudera (Holes, 55'), Moses, Vlcek, Zima, Chaloupek, Mbodji (Boril, 55'), Sadílek, Zafeiris (Chytil, 79'), Provod, Chory, and Sanyang (Kusej, 55').
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0
Athletic
Unai Simón, Areso (Lekue, 79'), Vivian, Paredes, Adama, Galarreta (Jauregizar, 64'), Rego, Berenguer (Nico Williams, 57'), Sancet (Selton Sánchez, 57'), Navarro, and Guruzeta (Unai Gómez, 79').
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Referee: Donatas Rumsas (Lithuania). Booked Provod, Guruzeta, Chory, Trpisovsky, Galarreta, Valverde, and Paredes.
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Incidents: Matchday 5 of the Champions League group stage held at Eden Arena (Prague).
Amidst struggles, bookings, and a few physical issues in the intense cold of Prague, the match lost momentum, turning into a tactical battle that was hard to digest for spectators. A scrappy action in Athletic's area was the highlight of a first half that ended in a near stalemate.
The start of the second half revitalised Athletic, with Robert Navarro having three consecutive chances. Once, twice, and even thrice, the red-and-white attacker was denied by Stanek, who stood tall in goal to keep Slavia in the game, especially with a phenomenal save against Navarro's header.
Athletic, lacking precision, let their best moment slip away, and as time went on, Slavia responded, despite Nico Williams' involvement. From less to more in the second half, the Czech league leaders could have even snatched victory with a point-blank volley from Chaloupek, who shot over with everything in his favour.
