Athletic Bilbao, the Spanish club based in San Sebastián, has secured its place in the round of 16 of the Europa League after finishing as group runner-up in their first qualifying round campaign.
The Basque side, who have made a name for themselves in European football over recent years, was drawn into Group E alongside fellow La Liga sides Sevilla and Leganes. In their opening two matches, Athletic Bilbao defeated Sevilla 2-0 at home before drawing 1-1 away against Leganes.
However, in their third match of the group stage, Athletic Bilbao suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Leganes, leaving them needing to win their final match to progress. Fortunately, they did just that, defeating Leganes 4-0 at home to secure second place in the group.
With this result, Athletic Bilbao will now face either Eintracht Frankfurt or FC Zürich in the round of 16, depending on which team wins their group. The winner of this tie will advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face either Manchester United or Villarreal.
For Athletic Bilbao, securing a spot in the knockout stages is a significant achievement given the tough competition they faced throughout the group stage. It also demonstrates the quality of the squad and the coaching staff, who were able to turn things around in their last match to seal a place in the next round.
Overall, it's been another successful season for Athletic Bilbao, who continue to be one of the top clubs in Spain and Europe. With a strong squad and a talented coach, there's no doubt that they'll be looking to make further progress in the coming seasons.