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Barcelona thrash Athletic Bilbao with five-goal rout to reach Spanish Super Cup final

Barcelona took a major step towards extending their record number of Spanish Super Cup titles after securing a place in the final with a commanding 5–0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the semi-final clash held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The Catalan side booked their qualification in emphatic fashion, showcasing a clear technical superiority over their opponents, particularly during a brief spell in the first half in which they settled the contest swiftly. Despite Athletic Bilbao’s strong start, which saw them apply early pressure and threaten Barcelona’s goal through several set pieces — most notably a header from Iñigo Paredes — the Blaugrana defense soon regained its composure and turned the tide of the match.

Key match moments

In the 22nd minute, Ferran Torres opened the scoring after capitalizing on a clever pass from Fermín López, giving Barcelona the lead and injecting confidence into their play.

Just minutes later, Fermín once again made his presence felt inside the penalty area, converting a cross from Brazilian winger Raphinha into the second goal in the 30th minute, signaling the beginning of a clear collapse in the Basque side’s ranks.

Between the 34th and 38th minutes, Athletic Bilbao endured their worst spell of the match. Young Swedish forward Roony Bardghji added the third goal with an impressive individual effort and a shot that wrong-footed goalkeeper Unai Simón, before Raphinha unleashed a powerful strike from the left flank that found the top corner, making it 4–0 and leaving Bilbao’s players stunned.

Despite attempts by the Basque side to regroup and search for a goal to reduce the deficit — which nearly materialized through an Oihan Sancet effort that struck the post — Barcelona maintained their dominance until the end of the first half.

At the start of the second half, Barcelona continued to press and needed just seven minutes to confirm their superiority with a fifth goal, once again scored by Raphinha, who took advantage of another mistake by goalkeeper Simón to complete his brace and underline his effectiveness.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick then made several substitutions, most notably introducing Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo, to loud applause from the fans in the stands. The team continued its possession-based approach, circulating the ball and creating a series of chances that could have resulted in further goals, were it not for rushed finishing or defensive interventions.

Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, struggled to keep pace with Barcelona’s high tempo and organized attacking movement, wasting the few opportunities that came their way, including a glaring miss from substitute Unai, who inexplicably fired wide when through on goal.

With this emphatic win, Barcelona set up a final showdown against the winner of tonight’s clash between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, with their sights firmly set on lifting the Super Cup for the second consecutive time and the 16th time in their history, further cementing their status as the competition’s most successful club and reaffirming their readiness to compete strongly for the remaining titles this season.

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