Barcelona delivered a ruthless performance to sweep aside Athletic Club and secure their place in the Spanish Super Cup final, as the defending champions made light work of their opponents in Saudi Arabia.
The Catalan side struck four times in a devastating 16-minute spell before half-time, effectively ending the contest early and underlining their dominance on the night.
Lightning Start Puts Game to Bed
Barcelona opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Ferran Torres converted from close range. Moments later, Fermin López doubled the lead with a powerful strike into the top corner, leaving Athletic struggling to cope.
The pressure continued as Roony Bardghji fired a shot that slipped under the hands of goalkeeper Unai Simón, before Raphinha capped off the blitz by smashing a shot into the roof of the net. By the 38th minute, Barcelona were already 4–0 up, becoming the first team to score four first-half goals in a Spanish Super Cup semi-final.
Raphinha Shines After the Break
Any hope of a comeback disappeared shortly after the restart. Raphinha grabbed his second goal of the night just four minutes into the second half, making it 5–0 with Simón unable to intervene.
From there, Barcelona eased off but remained firmly in control, seeing out the match with confidence and composure.
Final Awaits as Winning Run Continues
The victory marked Barcelona’s ninth consecutive win in all competitions and keeps Hansi Flick’s side firmly on track for more silverware. They will now face either Atlético Madrid or Real Madrid, who meet in the other semi-final on Thursday at 19:00 GMT.
The Spanish Super Cup final will be played on Sunday in Jeddah, following the extension of an agreement between Saudi Arabia and the Spanish Football Federation to host the tournament in the country until 2029.
