La Liga powerhouse Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final on Wednesday, 8th January.
They will face Real Madrid or Mallorca in the final at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, 12th January.
Barcelona Academy Duo Dismantle Athletic Bilbao
Barcelona enjoyed a bright start to the game, with Raphinha nearly finding the back of the net in the fourth minute. Jules Kounde whipped a delectable cross into the box, finding Raphinha. The Brazilian took it on the volley, but hit it a bit too firmly, causing the ball to sail narrowly over the bar.
Six minutes later, Raphinha tried to catch Unai Simon out with a cheeky free-kick. Spotting Simon’s positioning, the winger dispatched a powerful low effort, hoping to sneak it in. The Spanish goalkeeper, however, read his intention and made a fine stop.
Barcelona’s supremacy finally paid off in the 12th minute, as a sweeping team move resulted in La Masia graduate Gavi hitting the back of the net from close range. Alejandro Balde claimed the assist.
🔥 FULL TIME! 🔥
SEE YOU IN THE FINAL! pic.twitter.com/wbeJKGWgSv— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 8, 2025
Athletic’s first noteworthy goalscoring opportunity arrived in the 34th minute, as left-winger Alex Berenguer had a go at goal from outside the box. The effort, however, was not up to the mark, allowing Wojciech Szczesny to make a simple block. Just before the break, Inaki William went for goal with a brilliant half-volley, which grazed the top of the bar and went behind for a goal kick.
In the 52nd minute, another La Masia star Lamine Yamal made it 2-0 for Barca, scoring what was one of the finest goals of the season. While turning, the 17-year-old exceptionally brought down Gavi’s pass with his left foot, dashed into the box, and found the back of the net with a calm left-footed finish.
Athletic found the back of the net two times late in the game (82′, 86′), but both of those goals were ruled out for offside.
Barca Produced a Convincing Performance in Supercopa de Espana Semi-finals
It was far from a one-sided contest, but it is safe to say that Barcelona were by far the better team on Wednesday.
They had 56% possession, had more shots (14 to 8), put more of them on target (8 to 5), created considerably more big chances (8 to 2), and knocked the ball around with more confidence (437 accurate passes to 302 accurate passes). Most importantly, they were more threatening in the final third, attaining an xG of 2.38. Athletic, meanwhile, finished with an xG of just 0.75.
If Barcelona can play with the same level of confidence, they should fancy their chances of lifting the first trophy of the season on Sunday.
