Barça enjoys themselves against Athletic

The first Super Cup semi-final lived up to the expectations of sponsors and Arab fans who will be able to see Barcelona in Sunday's final.

Flick's men faced no real resistance from an Athletic side that gave up after going 1-0 down, a goal that came courtesy of a refereeing error; by the half-hour mark, the game was effectively over. The initial absence of Lamine and Lewandowski wasn't noticeable on the pitch because, thanks to Raphinha's excellent performance, goals were guaranteed, especially given the opportunities afforded by the Athletic full-backs. Barça will look to defend this title on Sunday, while Athletic must reconsider whether this performance is worth the €850,000 prize. 

The superiority with which Barcelona approached the match allowed them to play at a leisurely pace in the opening minutes, waiting for their opportunity against an Athletic side that looked uncertain but came out pressing high and forcing three consecutive corners. Paredes headed one of these corners, but Eric García made the save. A shot from Sancet, stopped by Joan García, preceded another from Pedri, which Unai Simón stopped. Barça had a wide-open lane down the left flank, and that's where Valverde's men could find their rhythm.

Flick's men continued searching for their opportunity, and it arrived thanks to the necessary assistance of Isidro Díaz de Mera, who whistled for a non-existent foul by Berenguer on Raphinha. Barça quickly took the free kick, which resulted in Ferran's first goal after a pass from Fermín. The referee from Daimiel's record with Athletic is worthy of study. The Athletic protests amounted to nothing, and Valverde's team's mental block resulted in three more goals against them in the following fifteen minutes. He only called one foul against Athletic, and it wasn't...

Areso's obvious struggles to contain Raphinha made things easier for Flick's men. The second goal came from a pass by the Brazilian to Fermín, who scored with ease. The third was a shot from Roony that Unai Simón failed to hold onto, and it rolled into the net. The fourth was a spectacular goal from Raphinha, who once again beat Areso and unleashed a left-footed strike into the top corner past Simón. Sancet had a chance to make it 4-1, but his shot hit the post. The 4-0 scoreline at halftime offered plenty to consider, especially for Athletic Bilbao, who couldn't afford to return from Saudi Arabia with such a humiliating defeat.

There were no changes in the second half, so the game continued in the same vein, and in the 51st minute, Barça scored their fifth goal after a play in the Bilbao penalty area that Raphinha finished off, further enhancing his already excellent performance. Valverde made all five substitutions, bringing on Galarreta, Unai Gómez, Guruzeta, Lekue, and Selton within a few minutes. Nico, who hadn't started, was given a rest amidst his teammates' collapse. Barça didn't let up despite the scoreline, and there were chances for both sides. Athletic had their clear opportunities, but once again demonstrated their lack of finishing touch, which has plagued them this season. Aside from Sancet's shot against the post in the first half, Unai Gómez missed a one-on-one chance, and Berenguer also came close to scoring, but ultimately, they suffered a painful 5-0 defeat in Bilbao.

20 minutes for Lamine

Tournament commitments forced Flick to bring on Lamine Yamal for 20 minutes, despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise, just to give him a chance. Fortunately, the Barcelona star wasn't injured. The pace did slow down in the final fifteen minutes, and thankfully for Athletic, the scoreline didn't get any worse. Barça, already favorites before the semi-final, are even more so after the ease with which they dispatched the Basque side.