January 8, 2025. 9:00 p.m. Saudi Arabia. Jeddah. King Abdullah Sports Complex.
Spanish Super Cup. Semi-finals
Athletic Club (Bilbao) vs FC Barcelona
Absent: Yeray Alvarez, Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Oihan Sancet – Marc-André ter Stegen, Marc Bernal
Uncertain : Nico Williams – Dani Olmo, Pau Victor
The Spanish Super Cup continues in Saudi Arabia on January 8, in a four-team format. This year’s edition features national champions and runners-up Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as last Copa del Rey winners and runners-up Athletic Club and Mallorca, respectively. The semi-finals will see the champion face the runner-up and the cup winner challenge the runner-up. All matches will take place in Jeddah.
Title holders Real Madrid currently hold the trophy, having mercilessly eliminated Barcelona with a score of 4:1 in last year’s final. Los Blancos have won three of the five tournaments since moving to a four-team format, while Athletic and Barcelona have each lifted the trophy once. Interestingly, no champion team has ever managed to defend their title in Spain.
Athletic Club
Ernesto Valverde’s side had a remarkable first half of the 2024-25 season, finishing the first round in 4th place in the La Liga table, just two points behind 3rd-placed Barcelona. Meanwhile, the Madrid clubs are slightly ahead, with Real leading with seven points and Atlético with five, although the latter still has a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Lions are tied with Lazio at the top of the Europa League group stage, having amassed 16 points from six matches, including a draw against Roma and five straight wins.
Athletic finished the previous calendar year with a resilient 2:1 away win over Osasuna, becoming the second team to defeat Pamplona at home. They started the new year with a tense cup match against Logroñés, a 4th division team. Despite numerous chances, Athletic managed only a narrow ‘clean’ victory against Eibar, a scoreless draw, and advanced beyond Girona on penalties. Nevertheless, Valverde’s side extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 matches.
FC Barcelona
During the festive break, Barcelona have mainly been at the center of discussions regarding obstacles to the registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, as well as club president Joan Laporta. Player uncertainties persist, despite the registration deadline having passed on January 3. Laporta, facing threats of a vote of no confidence (although so far only verbal), has displayed confidence about Olmo’s future, seeking deadlines, filing appeals and exploring loopholes in the regulations. However, the new leadership of Spanish football is less lenient than its predecessor, putting the Catalans at risk of falling back into another financial slump. Frankly, the ongoing Barcelona news has become rather boring – a final resolution is desperately awaited. If the players are ultimately registered, it would likely constitute a blatant violation of the regulations, sparking discontent among other La Liga clubs and leading to serious questions for Spanish football authorities, sparking further controversy.
On the pitch, Fleck’s team were the best in La Liga during the first third of the season. After an impressive 4:0 away win over Real Madrid in El Clásico at the end of October, it seemed like nothing could hinder their march towards at least securing the first half of the current campaign. Despite this, with notable injury problems, results became clouded, with Barcelona suffering three consecutive defeats at home and dropping points in three of four away matches. As a result, they currently sit 3rd in La Liga, five points behind Real and three behind Atlético, who they lost at home in their final match of 2024; Atlético, however, has a game in hand. The new football year started for Barcelona with an easy 4:0 victory in the Copa del Rey against Barbastro, a 4th division team. Robert Lewandowski shone with a brace, while the versatility of Eric Garcia and young talent Pablo Torre also shone.
Athletic vs Barcelone : Probable Teams
Athletic have several injury concerns, missing central defender Yeray Alvarez, key midfielder Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta and attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet, one of the team’s top scorers this season. Additionally, key winger Nico Williams has been confirmed to have suffered an injury in training, placing his participation in doubt. For Barcelona, they will be without their usual goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen and young midfielder Marc Bernal. The fate of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor remains uncertain; although included in the squad, their participation is not guaranteed.
Athletic vs Barcelone : Author’s prediction
Athletic are formidable at home and have shown strong performances away against equal opponents. However, Barcelona represents an opponent of a different caliber. Additionally, the Basques are currently facing significant injury issues, especially if Nico Williams is unable to play. That said, Valverde’s side will strive to give a good account of themselves against any opponent, promising a tough match for Barcelona. It is worth noting that the Catalans were the first team this season to conquer Athletic, although this happened in August, when the Basques were far from their best. Looking ahead to this next clash, I predict a trade of goals between the two teams, but I predict a victory for Barcelona.
