Sevilla beat Athletic Club 3-1 in La Liga, using their compact 4-2-3-1 shape and clinical transitions to punish the hosts despite prolonged pressure at San Mamés. Athletic controlled 65% possession and generated 1.25 xG, but Sevilla scored three times from just 0.41 xG, underlining the decisive gap in execution at both ends. Oso, Isaac Romero and Chidera Ejuke supplied the away goals, while centre-back Aitor Paredes scored Athletic’s only reply. Both managers deployed the same formation, yet the approaches differed: Athletic’s double pivot supported sustained territorial control and allowed the attacking midfield line to operate high, whereas Sevilla defended in a tighter block before advancing quickly into the spaces left behind. Goalkeeping also shaped the contest. Sevilla’s goalkeeper recorded an 87.5% save rate, repeatedly preserving the visitors’ advantage as Athletic pushed forward, while the hosts received far less protection from their own goalkeeper. The disparity between the underlying numbers and the final score made Sevilla’s efficiency the defining feature, with their forwards maximising a limited attacking supply and their defensive structure surviving Athletic’s heavier workload around the penalty area. Sevilla leave Bilbao with an important early-season away victory.