Athletic Club - Arsenal FC

Athletic Club lost 0-2 to Arsenal FC in their Champions League opener at San Mamés. It was a match in which the Lions fell with honour, proving their worth.

In a fairly even clash, the Londoners defeated the Lions with a lethal Martinelli counterattack in the 71st minute before Trossard delivered the killer blow with a strange shot that beat Unai Simón.

In an exceptional atmosphere at packed San Mamés stadium, with 51,059 Lionhearts cheering on the Zurigorri, Athletic showed they were capable of going toe-to-toe with Mikel Arteta's stellar side, last year's semi-finalists.

The Rojiblancos' first half was tactically superb, doing well to contain Arsenal's powerful forwards, especially Madueke.

Arsenal's first visit to San Mamés, with captain Gabriel Magalhaes' Pichichi bouquet offering to get things underway, was an emotional one. Gyokeres threatened a couple of times, but Athletic showed their mettle.

The Lions had a clear chance on the stroke of half-time. It came from a move between Iñaki Williams and Alex Berenguer that Oihan Sancet couldn't quite reach.

The weight of the game and the Lions' suffocating press made things difficult for Arteta's Gunners. Simón saved an effort from the omnipresent Madueke. Ernesto Valverde's team responded an Iñaki Williams shot that David Raya stopped.

And suddenly Martinelli, just after coming on, got on to the end of an counter-attack.

The Brazilian beat Simón by millimetres and Athletic, who lost Unai Gómez after he clashed heads with Mikel Merino, were unable to go up a gear like they do in La Liga.

Leandro Trossard then made the score 0-2. Not the scoreline Los Leones deserved after a proud performance.

Now we focus on LaLiga, but Athletic have shown they are here to compete in the Champions League.