Good day, everyone, and welcome to my blog. So the Spanish Super Cup kicked off this night with FC Barcelona facing Athletic Bilbao in the semifinals of the competition. These two clubs have had a tough rivalry history, but FC Barcelona has always been on top in the head-to-head clash of these two teams. The last time Athletic Club beat Barcelona was last season in the Copa Del Rey semifinals and I can remember vividly how that match went down because Barcelona had all the opportunities to win the game but fumbled their chances in front of goal.
This win was important for Hansi Flick and the boys to boost their confidence because it was not an easy end to 2024 for the club. FC Barcelona already started the year with a win in their Copa Del Rey fixture away from home against Barbastro and progressed to the next round of the competition. Athletic Club is a tough opponent, and it can be challenging to get past them and stop their dangerous counterattack. The Williams brothers are one of the best duos in Europe as they have the speed and skills to cause trouble in the opposition's defense, and that is what they did today.
Barcelona played decently in the first 25 minutes of the first half which resulted in a goal scored by Gavi. The link-up play between Gavi and Balde was executed well in Athletic Club's defense, which resulted in that goal. Gavi has been decent since his return from injury, and I like how Hansi Flick is managing Gavi's playing time in order not to put any pressure on the youngster, but I believe there is still a lot to see from Gavi, and we will get it soon. Athletic Club was pushing for an equalizer in the late minutes of the first half but could not get a goal as Szczesny was firm at the goalpost.
Barcelona won their second of the match in the 52nd minute of the second half, and this time, Lamine Yamal was the one who scored the goal. The youngster coming back from an injury and making a mark in the match is incredible at that age again. Lamine Yamal is no doubt already one of the biggest names in football and he still has a long way to go in his career. Lamine Yamal's goal gave Barcelona the upper edge in the second half as Athletic Club looked beaten, but still put up a fight in the remaining minutes of the second half of the match.
Inaki Williams scored a goal in the 86th of the match but was ruled as an offside because of the deflection on his teammate when Frenkie De Jong tried to play the ball back. Frenkie De Jong got lucky tonight because if that goal had stood it would have been another night of some Barcelona fans dragging him on Twitter. The reality now is that Frenkie would find it difficult to get his place in the starting lineup if he keeps playing badly, but I hope he gets the confidence boost he needs and gets back to his best.
Barcelona are through to the finals of the Spanish Super Cup which will be played on Sunday and their opponents will be the winner of the match between Real Madrid and Mallorca, but we all know Real Madrid is going to win this match so 90 percent probability it will be an El Clasico final except Mallorca surprise everyone and win tomorrow night. So, guys, that will be all for now. Thanks for stopping by and have a good day.
Posted Using INLEO