Match Pack: Viktoria Plzen vs Athletic Club (Europa League MD8)

The Lions welcome Czech side Viktoria Plzen to San Mames for our eighth and final fixture of the 2024/25 Europa League first phase. All matches will kick-off at 21:00 CET.

Athletic, looking to finish in the top eight and thus guarantee a place in the round of 16, currently sit in the third with 16 points after five wins, one draw and a loss from their seven fixtures so far. As things stands, a point would be enough to seal a spot in the last 16 and avoid the extra play-off.

However, Viktoria also have plenty at stake and won't make it easy for us. Just two points off the top eight, a positive result could see them sneak into the round of 16 as well.

 

Match Info

Athletic Club vs FC Viktoria Plzen

San Mames, Bilbao

Europa League 24/25 (League Phase Matchday 8)

Thursday January 29, 16:30 CET

Tickets available for purchase here

How to Watch 
Check out our global TV guide to make sure you don't miss the match 

 

The Opponents

FC Viktoria Plzen was founded as Sportovní Klub Viktoria Plzen in 1911 by state railway official Jaroslav Ausobský. 

Viktoria hails from Czech city of Plzen, located in West Bohemia, less than 100 kilometres from the capital Prague, and the fourth most populous city in the country with 325,000 inhabitants in its metropolitan area.

One of the most successful sides in Czech football history, especially in recent years, Viktoria have won six league titles (all of them between 2011 and 2022), two Czech cups and two Czech Super Cups.

Nicknamed Viktorky, Czech have been a regular presence in European competitions over the last decade, even making it to the Champions League group stages on three occasions.

Their home ground is the Doosan Arena, which opened in 1955 for the Spartakiad, a sporting event organised by the Czechoslovak Communist Party, in which 750,000 athletes from all over the country took part.

Although it could initially hold 35,000 spectators, it now has a capacity of 11,700. It's located in Strunc Parc, close to where the Mze and Radbuza rivers converge.

At the moment, Viktoria are second in the Czech First League.They are seven points behind Slavia Praha and have a record of 13 wins, four draws and two defeats from 19 matches.
 

Head coach: Miroslav Koubek
 

The 71-year-old has coached FC Viktoria Plzen in three different spells. Between 2001 to 2002, 2014 to 2015, the year in which he won the double, and again since 2023.

Koubek has also led other Czech football giants such as Slavia Praha and Bohemians. He coached the Czech Republic Under-19s in 2013 and 2014 and also has experience in the Chinese league.
 

Standout players
 

Viktoria Plzen's squad includes Czech internationals Lukas Cerv, Martin Jedlicka and Pavel Sulc. Other local veterans such as Lukas Hejda, Jan Kpic, Matej Vydra, Vaclav Jemelka, Lukas Kalvach and Milan Havel and promising youngsters like Jan Paluska, Jiri Panos, Tom Sloncik, Christophe Kabongo and Prince Kwabena Adu.

They also have a strong contigent of foreign players: Svetozar Markovic (Serbia), Cody Sene (Senegal), Ricardinho and Cadu (Brazil), Rafiu Durosimni (Nigeria), Jhon Mosquera (Colombia), Cheick Souaré (France), Eric Jirka (Slovakia) and Sampson Dweh (Liberia).
 

Europa League form
 

Viktoria Plzen have a lot riding on this match in Bilbao. The Czechs are 11th in the standings, three places and two points away from direct qualification for the round of 16.

So far, Viktoria have lost just once in the League Phase - a 1-2 home defeat to Manchester United. They have drawn 3-3 with Eintracht Frankfurt away, 2-2 with PAOK in Greece and 0-0 against Ludogorets at home. In terms of wins, they beat Real Sociedad 2-1 in Plzen, Dynamo Kyiv 1-2 in Germany and RSC Anderlecht 2-0 in Brussels.

 

Previous Meetings

Viktoria have visited San Mames once before, which is why there will be no tribute to Pichichi on Thursday night. The Czechs took on Fred Pentland's Athletic side in 1923, with the Lions winning 3-0 thanks to a José Legarreta goal and a brace from José Antonio Agirre (who went on to become president of the Basque Country).