Athletic Bilbao has advanced to the Europa League round of 16 after securing their group runner-up position in the competition. The Basque club, who were drawn into Group E along with RB Leipzig, Dynamo Kiev and Slavia Prague, had a difficult start to the tournament, but they managed to turn things around and finish second.
The team's performance was led by captain Iker Casillas, who made several key saves during the group stage. The goalkeeper was praised for his exceptional form, which helped Athletic Bilbao secure their place in the next round. Other standout performers included striker Ibai Otxoa, who scored twice against RB Leipzig, and midfielder Mikel Oyarzabal, who provided vital assists throughout the group stage.
Despite their impressive run in the group stages, Athletic Bilbao faced some tough opponents in the knockout phase. They drew 2-2 with RB Leipzig in the first leg of the round of 32, but managed to advance thanks to a late goal from Otxoa. In the second leg, they narrowly lost 1-0 to Dynamo Kiev, but still progressed through on penalties.
With this achievement, Athletic Bilbao have become the first Spanish club to reach the Europa League quarter-finals since Real Madrid in 2014. The club will now face either Manchester United or Porto in the last eight, where they will hope to continue their winning streak and progress further in the competition.
Overall, it has been an exciting season for Athletic Bilbao so far, and they will be hoping to build on their success in the Europa League as they look to make a strong showing in the rest of the competition.