When Paris Met Bilbao: Enrique Reveals PSG’s XI for a Champions League Sprint at San Mamés

Lineups and context

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Louis Enrique has named his squad for the San Mamés clash, the sixth matchday of the Champions League group stage. PSG sit fourth with 12 points, while Athletic Bilbao occupy the bottom spot with 4.

PSG has built a strong European run, having defeated Atalanta 4-0, Barcelona 2-1, and Bayer Leverkusen 7-2, while beating Tottenham 5-3 but losing to Bayern Munich 2-1.

Bilbao, by contrast, have lost to Arsenal 2-0 and Borussia Dortmund 4-1, claimed their first win against Qarabag 3-1, then were beaten by Newcastle 2-0 and drew 0-0 with Slavia Prague.

Lineups and quotes

PSG starting XI: The announced XI features a spine anchored by Marquinhos, with Ruiz, Vitinha, Mendes, and Neves pulling the strings, supported by a front line chosen to sharpen PSG’s attacking angles.

Ernesto Valverde, the Bilbao boss, revealed his starting lineup: Simón in goal, with a mix of pace and resilience across the backline and a midfield and attack built to press PSG in their own half and break with speed.

PSG’s plan centers on pushing high, maintaining ball control, and exploiting quick transitions to test Bilbao’s defensive organization.

Bilbao’s lineup is designed to balance compact defense with counter options, aiming to exploit spaces behind PSG’s forward line when possession turns over.

And now a quick, light note to keep things entertaining: if this game were a sniper joke, the ball would never miss the target. And if defending were a sport, Bilbao would have a gold medal in camouflage—because good luck spotting that backline at times.