Marseille hosts Athletic Bilbao in final pre-season test before Ligue 1 debut

Olympique de Marseille welcomed Athletic Bilbao to the Stade Vélodrome on August 9, 2026, for a pre-season friendly scheduled for 17:30 CEST (12:30 local time). The match served as the final preparation for both clubs before entering their respective domestic campaigns: Marseille faces Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on August 21, while Bilbao prepares for La Liga.

Marseille, managed by Bruno Génésio, arrived with three wins in four pre-season matches, including victories over Nîmes (2-1) and Al Shahaniya (3-0), offset by a 3-0 loss to Nice. Génésio, who joined the club in late June after leading Lille to third place in Ligue 1 2025-26 and Champions League qualification, faces the challenge of rebuilding Marseille under financial constraints. The squad has undergone significant changes, with departures including Mason Greenwood to Fenerbahçe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Deportivo de La Coruña. New arrivals include Facundo Medina (€18 million from Lens), Timothy Weah (€14.4 million from Juventus), and Hamed Traoré (€7.7 million from Bournemouth).

Athletic Bilbao, under new manager Edin Terzić, entered the fixture unbeaten in their last six friendlies, recording five wins and one draw. The match represented Bilbao's seventh pre-season fixture and their first against high-level international opposition under Terzić, whose previous role saw him win the DFB-Pokal 2021 and guide Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final in 2024. Bilbao's recent form included an 11-0 victory over Leioa and consecutive 3-0 wins over Racing Santander and Burgos.

Starting lineups confirmed Marseille deployed a side featuring Jeffrey De Lange in goal, with Igor Paixão, Amine Harit, and Amine Gouiri in attacking positions. Athletic Bilbao fielded Alex Padilla in goal with Iñaki Williams and Gorka Guruzeta leading the attack. Both teams looked to test tactical approaches ahead of competitive fixtures, with Marseille seeking to maintain winning momentum in front of an expected 60,000 home supporters and Bilbao assessing the effectiveness of their pressing system against higher-caliber opposition.