Athletic Club and Qarabag will face each other for the first time in European competition, with the Spanish side only having faced Azerbaijani opposition on two previous occasions (2-0 and 0-0 v Keshla in qualifying for the 2015-16 UEFA Europa League – 2-0 on aggregate).

Qarabag are winless in six previous games against Spanish sides in European competition (D2 L4), losing each of the last four in a row. This will be their first such match since a 3-0 defeat away to Villarreal in the UEFA Europa League in December 2020.

Athletic Club have lost their last two European home matches, suffering defeats versus Manchester United (0-3) and Arsenal (0-2). They will be looking to avoid losing three consecutive home defeats in major European competition for the first time ever, with this their 97th such match.

Qarabag have won both of their matches in the UEFA Champions League this season, beating Benfica 3-2 on MD1 and Copenhagen 2-0 on MD2. If they win here, they would equal the longest winning run by an Azerbaijani side in major European competition, also achieved by Qarabag (3 in November 2021).

Ernesto Valverde has lost as many UEFA Champions League games this season (2) as he did in 28 matches in charge of former club Barcelona in the competition (W18 D8). Indeed, the current Athletic Club boss could suffer consecutive home defeats for the first time as a manager in the Champions League (lost versus Arsenal on MD1 this term).

Qarabag have scored five goals in two UEFA Champions League matches this season, already three more than they netted in their previous appearance in this competition (two in six games in 2017-18). All five of their goals have been scored by different players, with only Borussia Dortmund (8) and Atlético Madrid (6) having more across the first two matchdays this season.

Athletic Club have lost two of their six matches at San Mames across all competitions this season (W3 D1), just one fewer than they lost in their final 24 home matches of the previous campaign (W16 D5 L3).

Gorka Guruzeta is the only Athletic Club player to have found the net in the UEFA Champions League this season, scoring against Borussia Dortmund last time out. He could become just the fifth Athletic player to score in consecutive appearances in the European Cup/Champions League, after Mikel San José (2014), Merodio (1957), Arieta I (1956) and José Luis Artetxe (1956).

33-year-old Abdellah Zoubir has either scored (1) or assisted (1) in both of Qarabag’s UEFA Champions League matches this term. Indeed, he was one of only five players aged 30+ to both score and assist across the opening two matchdays this season, along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mohamed Salah, Hans Vanaken and Leandro Trossard.

Athletic Club’s Unai Simón has conceded six goals in the UEFA Champions League this season, despite only facing 3.2 xG on target. This was the worst negative differential of any goalkeeper across the first two matchdays of the current campaign (-2.8 – excluding own goals).