Athletic, the Copa del Rey holders, meet Barcelona, La Liga runners-up, in a thrilling encounter between two top-four La Liga sides this season in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
With the Baulgrana club’s recent troubles, one wonders if perhaps this is the competition that would bring some joy to Barcelona and its fans as they try to forget their “Dani Olmo” woes.
Athletic Bilbao Aim to Extend Unbeaten Streak | Win = 4.07
Athletic Bilbao enter the semi-final in fine form, unbeaten in their last six La Liga matches and sitting fourth in the league. Their solid defence, conceding just 17 goals this season, has been key to their success.
Ernesto Valverde’s side has also demonstrated resilience, prevailing in tough matches like the penalty shootout win over Logrones in the Copa del Rey last Saturday.
However, their task on Wednesday won’t be easy, as they come up against a Barcelona side that is on the hunt for some good news and has only once before been beaten by Bilbao in regulation time (2020).
Barcelona Look to Rediscover Form & Joy | Win = 1.87
Barcelona are not seeing a lot of joy on or off the pitch in recent times with no wins in their last three La Liga matches, including damaging defeats to Leganes and Atletico Madrid, and trouble registering their players.
Despite their struggles, they boast the league's strongest attack, netting 51 goals this season. Robert Lewandowski leads the charge with 25 goals in all competitions.
Hansi Flick will look to try and get his Polish striker together with the rest of his team to get a great result against Bilbao in an effort to try and give their fans something to smile about and possibly change all the negative talk about the club in recent weeks.
Key Players & Team News:
Athletic Bilbao may miss Yeray Alvarez, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, and Oihan Sancet due to injuries. Barcelona, meanwhile, have fitness concerns over Ferran Torres and may not risk Yamal from the start.
Both managers are expected to rotate their squads, with key players returning after resting in their recent Copa del Rey matches.
Match Stats & Betting Odds | Draw = 4.00
The last two encounters between Bilbao and Barca, with Bilbao as the home team have been close, with a 0-0 draw in March 2024 when they met in Laliga, and a 2-2 draw in January 2024's Copa del Rey, which saw Athletic win in extra time. | Specials Market: Home/Draw & Under 4.5 = 2.12
Barcelona's semi-final pedigree in the Spanish Super Cup gives them confidence, having won their last two semi-final fixtures in this competition. | Specials Market: Away & Over 1.5 = 2.08
You can check out the Spanish Super Cup game, Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona, on MSport.
#SpanishSuperCup #SuperCopadeEspana #Bilbao #Barca #Lewandoski #Flick #Nico #Williams #Inaki
