BILBAO, 28 October 2026 — Athletic Club came from behind to beat Qarabag 3-1 at San Mamés on Tuesday night, claiming their first Champions League win of the season on a night when the visitors' Leandro Andrade made European football history with a goal after just 48 seconds.
Illustration: A packed football stadium at night under bright floodlights during a European match.
What Happened
The match had barely begun when Qarabag stunned the home crowd. A defensive mix-up between Athletic defenders Aymeric Laporte and Aitor Paredes allowed Andrade to pounce, and the Cape Verdean midfielder slotted the ball past goalkeeper Unai Simón after only 48 seconds. According to BBC Sport, Andrade thereby became the first player in the history of major European club competition to score inside the first minute of three different games, a record built on earlier early goals against Häcken in December 2023 and against FCSB earlier in 2026.
Athletic, managed by Ernesto Valverde, refused to panic. The Basque side cranked up the pressure as the first half wore on and were rewarded in the 40th minute, when Gorka Guruzeta produced a neat one-on-one finish to level the score before half-time. It was a goal that changed the mood inside San Mamés, turning a night that had begun in shock into one of growing belief.
The second half belonged increasingly to the hosts. Valverde's substitution proved decisive: Robert Navarro, introduced in place of Nico Williams, curled a superb strike into the top corner in the 70th minute, just five minutes after coming on, to put Athletic ahead for the first time. Moments later, Qarabag threatened to spoil the comeback, but Yuri Berchiche cleared Oleksii Kashchuk's would-be equaliser off the goal line to preserve the lead.
Guruzeta completed the victory in the 88th minute, finishing his second goal of the night with a fierce volley into the bottom corner. It was his third goal in as many Champions League games this season, a run of form that has made the striker Athletic's most reliable European scorer. The 3-1 scoreline, reported by BBC Sport, gave Athletic their first win of this season's Champions League campaign.
Background
The victory arrived at a badly needed moment for Athletic. Before Tuesday, the Bilbao club had begun their European campaign with a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal and a 4-1 defeat by Borussia Dortmund, and BBC Sport noted that the Qarabag win was only their second victory in 10 games in all competitions. A third consecutive European defeat would have left their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds hanging by a thread; instead, they now have three points and a performance to build on.
Athletic Club are one of Spanish football's most distinctive institutions. Based in Bilbao, they have long fielded teams built around players from the Basque Country and its footballing diaspora, a policy that sets them apart in an era of globalised squads. San Mamés, their modern stadium on the banks of the Nervión, is renowned for its atmosphere on European nights, and Tuesday's comeback gave that reputation another chapter.
Qarabag, by contrast, arrived in Bilbao as one of this season's surprise packages. The Azerbaijani champions, based in Aghdam and playing their home games in Baku, have become regulars in European competition under long-serving coach Qurban Qurbanov, and they have built a reputation for fearless away performances against far wealthier clubs. Their lightning start in Bilbao, and Andrade's record, underlined why they are no longer treated as mere group-stage makeweights.
Andrade's achievement deserves context of its own. Scoring in the first minute of a European game once is a curiosity; doing it three times, in three different matches, is a statistical oddity that speaks to a particular kind of alertness. Each time, he has been ready to exploit a defensive lapse before the opposition has settled, and each time the goal has forced the favourites to chase a game they expected to control. That he did it again in Bilbao, against a club of Athletic's stature, only adds to the story.
The Champions League's current league-phase format also shapes the stakes of nights like this one. With every club playing eight league-phase matches and only the top finishers advancing directly, early points are precious and a winless start can quickly become a crisis. Athletic's first win does not guarantee progress, but it keeps them in the race and, just as importantly, restores confidence after a difficult run of results.
Illustration: A footballer striking a volley towards goal in a crowded stadium.
Why It Matters
First, the result matters for Athletic's season. A club that had won only once in nine games before Tuesday risked seeing its European campaign drift into irrelevance before November. The comeback win, sealed by a striker in form and a substitute's moment of quality, gives Valverde's side something tangible to carry into their next fixtures, both in Europe and in La Liga.
Second, the match is a reminder of how thin the margins are in the Champions League. For 40 minutes, Qarabag led through a goal scored before many supporters had taken their seats, and for a few seconds in the second half they were a goal-line clearance away from equalising at 2-2. Had Berchiche not intervened, the narrative of the night would have been entirely different. Instead, Athletic's resilience, rather than Qarabag's fast start, is what will be remembered.
Third, Andrade's record is the kind of milestone that outlasts a single result. Long after the group standings are forgotten, the fact that one player scored inside the first minute of three different major European games will remain in the record books. It also highlights the growing influence of players from smaller footballing nations on the European stage: Andrade, a Cape Verde international, made his mark against one of Spain's historic clubs.
Illustration: A football trophy under stadium lights at night with confetti in the air.
Finally, the game illustrates the competitive depth of the modern Champions League. Qarabag, from a league far outside Europe's traditional elite, led for most of the first half in Bilbao and were still threatening late in the game. The gap between Europe's established powers and its emerging clubs has not disappeared, but nights like this one show that it is narrower, and more entertaining, than it once was.
What Happens Next
Both clubs return to Champions League action on 5 November, according to BBC Sport. Athletic travel to Newcastle, where they will face Newcastle United at St James' Park, while Qarabag host Chelsea in Baku. Those fixtures will test whether Tuesday's result was a turning point or merely a respite: an away win at Newcastle would transform Athletic's campaign, while Qarabag will look to prove that their fast start in Bilbao was no fluke by taking points from another English side.
Domestically, Athletic will hope that the confidence from the comeback carries into La Liga, where they need to arrest the poor run that preceded this win. Guruzeta's scoring form is a particular bright spot: three goals in three Champions League games gives Valverde a focal point in attack, and Navarro's impact off the bench strengthens the case for a bigger role for the substitute.
For Qarabag, the task is to regroup quickly. There is no disgrace in losing 3-1 away to Athletic after leading so early, but the Azerbaijani champions will know that the next home game, against Chelsea, is an opportunity to turn promise into points. Andrade, meanwhile, will arrive at that match as the holder of a European record, and as a player every opponent will now be warned about in the opening minute.
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FAQ
What was the final score between Athletic Club and Qarabag?
Athletic Club won 3-1 at San Mamés in Bilbao on 28 October 2026. Leandro Andrade gave Qarabag the lead after 48 seconds, Gorka Guruzeta equalised in the 40th minute, substitute Robert Navarro put Athletic ahead in the 70th minute, and Guruzeta completed the scoring in the 88th minute.
What record did Leandro Andrade set?
According to BBC Sport, Andrade became the first player in major European club competition history to score inside the first minute of three different games. His earlier first-minute goals came against Häcken in December 2023 and against FCSB earlier in 2026.
Why was this win important for Athletic Club?
It was Athletic's first Champions League win of the season after defeats by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund, and only their second win in 10 games in all competitions. The three points keep their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds alive and restore confidence after a difficult run.
Who scored Athletic's goals?
Gorka Guruzeta scored twice, in the 40th and 88th minutes, taking his tally to three goals in as many Champions League games this season. Robert Navarro, who replaced Nico Williams, scored the second goal in the 70th minute with a curling strike into the top corner.
What happens next for both clubs?
On 5 November, Athletic travel to Newcastle United at St James' Park, while Qarabag host Chelsea in Baku, according to BBC Sport. Both fixtures are the next round of Champions League league-phase matches.
Sources
- BBC Sport, "Athletic claim first win after Andrade makes history", 29 October 2026
- BBC Sport report via Apex Football, "Athletic Club Come From Behind to Beat Qarabağ 3-1 in Champions League Thriller", 28–29 October 2026
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