Champions League Chaos: Unai Simón Masterclass Holds PSG 0-0 as Leverkusen & Dortmund Drop Points.
Champions League MD7: Unai Simón Saves Bilbao as PSG Held 0-0, Leverkusen and Dortmund Drop Points.
PSG were held to a dramatic 0-0 draw by Athletic Bilbao after a stunning Unai Simón display. Leverkusen and Dortmund also dropped points as the Champions League top-eight race heats up.
Champions League MD7
PSG 0-0 Athletic Bilbao, Unai Simón saves, Champions League 2025-26, Leverkusen vs Salzburg, Dortmund vs Shakhtar, Champions League top eight, PSG Champions League, Unai Simón masterclass
Champions League Chaos: Unai Simón Masterclass Holds PSG to 0Champions League MD7: Chaos Reigns – PSG Held 0-0 by Heroic Unai Simón, Leverkusen & Dortmund Drop Points as Top-8 Race Explodes.
San Mamés, Bilbao — Wednesday 10 December 2025 Athletic Bilbao 0–0 Paris Saint-Germain Elsewhere: Bayer Leverkusen 1–1 Salzburg | Borussia Dortmund 2–2 Shakhtar.
The new 36-team Champions League league phase delivered another night of pure drama. Paris Saint-Germain, widely tipped to cruise into the top eight, were sensationally held to their first goalless draw of the entire 2025-26 season by an inspired Athletic Bilbao side inspired by a world-class performance from Unai Simón. In the same round, both Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund surrendered leads and dropped vital points, turning what looked like a relatively settled top half of the table into an absolute dogfight with only two matchdays remaining.
After seven games, only Inter Milan (19 pts) and Arsenal (18 pts) look genuinely safe in the automatic last-16 spots. Behind them, a staggering TEN teams are separated by just four points (13–17 pts). One slip, and you’re suddenly staring at February play-offs — or worse.
The Night in Numbers (after MD7)
Inter Milan – 19 pts (almost qualified)
Arsenal – 18 pts (almost qualified)
PSG – 13 pts
Barcelona – 16 pts
Liverpool – 16 pts
Bayern Munich – 15 pts
Real Madrid – 15 pts
Atlético Madrid – 14 pts
AC Milan – 14 pts
Leverkusen – 14 pts
Dortmund – 13 pts
Lille – 13 pts …
Athletic Bilbao – 5 pts
San Mamés: Unai Simón vs The World
Paris arrived in the Basque Country without Kylian Mbappé (rested after a minor knock) and with Ousmane Dembélé still missing through injury. Luis Enrique started Vitinha–Fabián–Zaïre-Emery in midfield and handed Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué the wide roles alongside Gonçalo Ramos up top. On paper, it looked potent. On the pitch, they met a red-and-white wall.
Athletic Bilbao, playing their trademark high-intensity man-marking system under Ernesto Valverde, pressed PSG into mistakes for most of the first half. Iñaki Williams forced a flying save from Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 9th minute, and Nico Williams’ curling effort skimmed the far post on 27 minutes. PSG barely threatened until the 38th minute when Achraf Hakimi’s cut-back found Ramos six yards out — only for Unai Simón to spread himself brilliantly and deflect the shot over with his legs.
The second half was almost entirely one-way traffic. Simón produced an absolutely heroic sequence between the 52nd and 68th minutes:
52’ – Finger-tip save from Barcola’s near-post flick
55’ – One-handed diving stop from Fabián Ruiz’s 22-yard rocket
61’ – Double save: first denying Ramos, then blocking Kvaratskhelia’s follow-up from eight yards
68’ – Outrageous reflex stop to push Hakimi’s volley onto the bar
By full time, Simón had made NINE saves (four of them classed as “high-quality” by Opta) for an xGOT prevented of +1.8 — the highest single-game figure in the competition this season). PSG registered 2.34 xG; they left with zero goals. Luis Enrique could only applaud the Spaniard at full time.
Elsewhere: The Big Guns Bleed Points
Bayer Leverkusen 1–1 Red Bull Salzburg Xabi Alonso’s side dominated possession (68%) and hit the woodwork twice through Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, but a 79th-minute Oscar Gloukh free-kick cancelled out Patrik Schick’s opener. Leverkusen slip to 14 pts and out of the top eight on goal difference.
Borussia Dortmund 2–2 Shakhtar Donetsk Leading 2–0 through Serhou Guirassy (brace), Dortmund collapsed in the final 12 minutes. Georgiy Sudakov pulled one back from the spot, and substitute Newerton equalised in the 90+3rd minute. Dortmund remain on 13 pts — now level with PSG but behind on head-to-head.
The Top-8 Bloodbath: What It All Means
With only six points left to play for, here is the state of play:
Automatic last-16 (top 8) currently occupied by: Inter (19), Arsenal (18), Barcelona (16), Liverpool (16), Bayern (15), Real Madrid (15), Atlético (14), AC Milan (14)
Chasing and breathing down their necks: 9–12: Leverkusen 14, Atlético 14 (better GD), Dortmund 13, PSG 13, Lille 13
Remaining fixtures for the big contenders (MD8 in brackets):
PSG (13 pts): vs Sporting CP (A), vs Bayern (H)
Leverkusen (14): vs Inter (H), vs Brest (A)
Dortmund (13): vs Barcelona (H), vs Lille (A)
Bayern (15): vs Bilbao (A), vs PSG (A)
Real Madrid (15): vs Salzburg (H), vs Atlético (A)
In short: the final two matchdays are going to be carnage. A single defeat could drop a giant into the play-off zone (9th–24th).
Player of the Night: Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao)
Saves: 9
High-quality saves: 4
xGOT prevented: +1.84
Passes completed: 18/24 (75%)
Claimed crosses: 3/3
The 28-year-old Spain No.1 produced the best individual goalkeeping display of the Champions League season so far and single-handedly earned Bilbao their first point against Parisian opposition in history.
Reaction Round-Up
Luis Enrique (PSG): “We created enough to win two matches. Unai Simón was phenomenal — credit to him. We stay third, we stay alive, and we go to Lisbon to get the three points we need.”
Ernesto Valverde (Athletic Bilbao): “This is what San Mamés is about. We suffered, we fought, and Unai… tonight he reminded everyone he is one of the three best goalkeepers in the world.”
Xabi Alonso (Leverkusen): “We had the chances, we didn’t take them, and we were punished. Now every game is a final.”
The Run-In Calendar – The Games That Will Decide the Top 8
Matchday 8 (21–22 January 2026)
Sporting CP vs PSG
Dortmund vs Barcelona
Leverkusen vs Inter Milan
Bayern vs Athletic Bilbao
Real Madrid vs Salzburg
Matchday 9 (28–29 January 2026)
PSG vs Bayern Munich
Lille vs Dortmund
Atlético vs Real Madrid
Inter vs Leverkusen
Buckle up. After a night when Unai Simón reminded everyone that football is still 11 vs 11 (plus one extraordinary goalkeeper), the Champions League table is tighter than ever. Only Inter and Arsenal can sleep relatively easy tonight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the PSG vs Athletic Bilbao score?
Athletic Bilbao and Paris Saint-Germain finished 0-0 at San Mamés.
Who was the star of Athletic Bilbao vs PSG?
Unai Simón was the standout performer after producing nine saves according to the supplied match account.
How many saves did Unai Simón make against PSG?
The supplied article credits Simón with nine saves, including four high-quality saves.
What was the Leverkusen vs Salzburg result?
Bayer Leverkusen drew 1-1 with Salzburg after Salzburg scored a late equaliser.
What was the Dortmund vs Shakhtar result?
Borussia Dortmund drew 2-2 with Shakhtar Donetsk after surrendering a two-goal lead.
How many Champions League league-phase matches remain?
According to the supplied article, two matchdays remain, leaving six points available.
Who were the teams in the top eight after MD7?
The supplied standings list Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and AC Milan in the automatic last-16 positions.
Why is the top-eight race so important?
The teams finishing in the top eight qualify automatically for the last 16, while those outside the automatic positions face the additional play-off route.
Did PSG win against Athletic Bilbao?
No. PSG were held to a 0-0 draw by Athletic Bilbao.
What made Unai Simón's performance special?
His repeated saves, particularly during the second half, prevented PSG from converting their chances and secured Athletic a valuable point.
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