Barcelona DOMINATES Athletic Bilbao 5-0 to Reach Super Cup Final
Barcelona thrashes Athletic Bilbao 5-0 in the semi-final, securing their place in the Spanish Super Cup final with a commanding display.
Barcelona booked their spot in the Spanish Super Cup final with a stunning 5-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the semifinal clash played in Jeddah. Despite rotating his squad, coach Hansi Flick managed a dominant performance even while resting Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Robert Lewandowski on the bench.
Ferran Torres opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, and Barcelona wrapped things up before halftime. Fermin Lopez doubled the lead after a brilliant attack, followed by a third goal from Rooney Bardagji. Rafinha added a beautiful strike to make it 4-0 before the break. In the second half, the Brazilian scored his second goal of the match to seal a crushing 5-0 win.
Athletic started the match on the front foot, launching several dangerous attacks early on but failing to get a shot on target. Barcelona responded calmly, gradually taking control of the game. Torres exploited a defensive mistake to give the Catalans the lead with a slightly fortunate strike.
After the opener, Barcelona's superiority was clear. Pedri and Rafinha orchestrated the offense while Athletic’s defense began to crack. Lopez and Bardagji took full advantage, and Rafinha’s two goals showcased his quality, effectively breaking their opponents' spirit.
Barcelona kept dominating after the break, though their pace dropped. Newcomers Olmo, Yamal, and Marcus Rashford entered the game, with the young Spaniard impressing again with his technique and confidence. Athletic had a chance to salvage some pride, but Unai Gomez missed a one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
