On Wednesday evening, King Abdullah Sport City in Jeddah hosted the Spanish Super Cup semi-final between Barcelona and Athletic Club . For this clash, Hansi Flick made several bold choices for the Catalan side, starting Roony Bardghji in place of the ill Lamine Yamal, and fielding Raphinha on the left wing and Ferran Torres up front, while Pedri and Frenkie de Jong were deployed in midfield. Athletic Club, meanwhile, were without their Spanish star Nico Williams, with an attack comprised of Iñaki Williams, supported by Alex Berenguer and Robert Navarro. Barça, the most decorated club in the competition with 15 Super Cups and winner in 2023 and 2025, is aiming for another title, while Bilbao , crowned in 2021 and already 3 times winner, was trying 5 years later to reach a final in order to, perhaps, win another cup.
From the outset, Barça tried to take control of the match. Athletic looked dangerous down the wings, with a run by Berenguer and a corner headed in by Paredes (2nd minute). Raphinha also attempted several crosses, but Unai Simon intervened well, and in the 12th minute, a long pass from Pedri to Bardghji went just wide. Barça then focused their attacks down the flanks, but the Bilbao defense remained solid. In the 19th minute, Ferran Torres collided with the Spanish goalkeeper at full speed, giving the Basque side a free kick. Moments later, Torres opened the scoring (22nd minute), capitalizing on Barça's period of dominance. Following a well-executed combination with Bardghji and Fermín López, Torres calmly slotted the ball past Simon, giving Barça the lead (1-0). In excellent form, this was his 14th goal in all competitions this season. Having already provided an assist, Fermín López doubled the lead with a precise left-footed finish from a perfect Raphinha cross (30th minute, 2-0).
The Raphinha show
The bold decision to start Roony Bardghji paid off handsomely. Indeed, it was he who extended the lead with a slightly soft but perfectly placed left-footed shot that surprised Unai Simon. The Basque goalkeeper completely misjudged the situation, and the score was already 3-0 for Barça in the 34th minute. Hansi Flick's men didn't stop there and continued their onslaught before halftime: in the 38th minute, Raphinha scored the fourth goal. Roony Bardghji switched the play to the left for the Brazilian winger, who burst into the box, beat Jesús Areso, and unleashed an unstoppable rocket into the top left corner, leaving Simon beaten once again. After the break, the pattern continued: Raphinha even grabbed his second goal in the 52nd minute, making it 5-0.
With this latest goal, the Brazilian now has 9 goals and 4 assists this season. Around the hour mark, Hansi Flick rotated his squad, giving playing time to youngsters Bernal and Gerard Martin, while Marcus Rashford replaced Raphinha. The King Abdullah Sport City stadium erupted in the 72nd minute with the introduction of Lamine Yamal, who replaced the excellent Roony Bardghji. The Blaugrana continued to dominate possession until the final whistle, finishing the match in complete control. With this result, the Catalans qualify for the Spanish Super Cup final, where they will face the winner of the derby between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid , scheduled for Thursday at 8 pm. The final will be played on Sunday, and after such a performance, Barça will arrive brimming with confidence.
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