Ernesto Valverde, coach of Athletic Club, admitted on Tuesday that it is "clear" that PSG is the "favorite" ahead of the sixth matchday of the Champions League, which will see both teams face off in Bilbao (northern Spain), but noted that "the match still has to be played."

"It is clear they have great potential, but matches have to be played. Budget differences are sometimes not as large on the field. We have to play a collective game, defend well against them, try to take advantage of our situations, and have a few if possible," the coach stressed during the pre-match press conference.

Dónde pasarán el Athletic Club vs PSG, Champions League 2025-26

Valverde admitted that for Athletic, "it is a decisive match" in terms of advancing to the next phase of the continental tournament, and stressed that the current European champion, managed by Spaniard Luis Enrique Martínez, "is a very physical team, in addition to being very technical, with players capable of handling any type of pressure."

"It's difficult to press them for ninety minutes and they have decisive players, but we will see tomorrow," added the Bilbao team coach, before admitting that he "would have liked" the 'Golden Boot' Ousmane Dembélé, who is out due to illness in Bilbao, to be at San Mamés, having managed him previously at FC Barcelona.

"He is an extraordinary player, it's like he floats on the field. It’s lucky that he isn't here, but with PSG's potential, they can replace him perfectly, although I would have liked for him to be here," said Valverde, who highlighted the individual quality of players like the Portuguese Vitinha and Joao Neves, or the Georgian forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Finally, Valverde did not clarify who will replace the injured Aymeric Laporte in the center of the defense, and regarding Iñaki Williams, who is in the final stage of recovering from a muscle injury, he commented that he "has not completed a full-intensity training session with the group" and, therefore, is "a bit tight" to make the squad list. EFE