Barcelona will square up against Atheltic Club for a place in the final of the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia.
Athletic Club earned the right to feature in the semi-finals of the Super Cup thanks to their Copa del Rey triumph last season, while Barcelona secured a spot thanks to their second-place finish in La Liga. Both teams have had a similar sort of campaign so far, and it promises to be a mouthwatering clash.
The home team are fourth in the league with 36 points in their 19 outings. They have only suffered three defeats, having won ten and drawn the remaining six. While they were forced into a penalty shootout in their Copa del Rey round of 32 fixture against UD Logroñés, Athletic surely have the quality in their ranks to push the Catalan giants all the way in this semi-final.
Barcelona were comfortably sitting at the top of the league table, but a sudden collapse towards the end of last year has seen them drop down to third place with 38 points in their 19 outings. They have suffered five defeats in the league.
The Blaugrana are heading into this fixture on the back of a 4-0 win over UD Barbastro in the Copa del Rey. While Athletic Club will present a completely different challenge, Hansi Flick’s team will be confident about getting the desired result. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Athletic Club
Yeray Alvarez, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, and Oihan Sancet have all been struggling with injury, and their availability remains doubtful as they will be assessed ahead of the game. Ernesto Valverde will make quite a few changes to the XI that started in their Copa del Rey fixture. He will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Unai Simon should take his place in goal.
Oscar de Marcos and Yuri Berchiche will take up the full-back roles, while Dani Vivian will feature alongside Aitor Paredes in the heart of the defence. Mikel Jauregizar will partner, with Benat Prados in the centre of the park. The duo will look to shield the backline and ensure the Barcelona midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings.
Inaki Williams and Nico Williams will feature on the flanks, providing the width to their attacks, while Alejandro Berenguer Remiro will take up the number ten role if Sancet fails to make it in time. Gorka Guruzeta will spearhead the Athletic Club attack against Barcelona.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Simon; De Marcos, Vivian, Paredes, Berchiche; Jauregizar, Prados; Inaki Williams, Berenguer, Nico Williams; Guruzeta
Barcelona
Dani Olmo and Pau Victor have both travelled with the squad, but they have not been registered yet and can’t be involved in this fixture. While Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal remain on the sidelines, Hector Fort, Andreas Christensen and Lamine Yamal should all return to the squad. While Yamal is back in the mix, he is unlikely to be risked from the start.
Ferran Torres’s availability for this fixture remains doubtful. Hansi Flick will recall quite a few of his regulars for this outing. Barcelona will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Athletic Club, with Inaki Pena returning between the sticks. Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde will be the full-backs, while Pau Cubarsi will continue to partner Inigo Martinez in the heart of the defence.
Marc Casado and Pedri will form the double pivot in midfield. They will look to control the tempo of the game. Gavi will take up the number ten role while Fermin Lopez and Raphinha will continue to feature on the flanks. Robert Lewandowski should lead the line for Barcelona against Athletic Club.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Raphinha, Gavi, Fermin; Lewandowski
Key Stats
- Athletic Club will be looking to win their fourth Spanish Super Cup.
- Barcelona won only one out of their last seven league games in 2024.
- Los Leones won the Copa del Rey last season and brought an end to their 40-year-long drought. That triumph has helped them qualify for the semi-final of the Super Cup.
- The Blaugrana will be aiming for their 15th Spanish Super Cup title.
- Ernesto Valverde’s team have been unbeaten in their last 15 games across competitions.
Player to Watch
Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski is still going strong at 36 with 25 goals and two assists in his 25 outings. While the Polish international has been one of their best players, he was not really at his best towards the end of 2024. But, having scored a brace against Barbastro in the Copa del Rey, the Pole seems to be back in form, and he will be looking to add to his tally in the Spanish Super Cup.
Prediction
Athletic Club 2-3 Barcelona
Athletic Club have been a consistent performer throughout the 2024/25 season. While Barcelona are ahead of them in the league table, they have been quite inconsistent in the recent past, and Ernesto Valverde’s team will believe they have a chance of making it to the final of the Super Cup. Despite that, Hansi Flick’s team should manage to get the desired result. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 3-2 win for Barcelona.
