Barcelona Stars Shine Bright in Super Cup Clash Despite Missing Yamal Magic Against Athletic Club

Barcelona dominated proceedings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during the Spanish Super Cup semifinals, crushing Athletic Club 5–0 in a thoroughly one-sided display.

Following an unconvincing Catalan derby win over the weekend, there were minor questions about how Barcelona would perform against Ernesto Valverde's squad, particularly with Lamine Yamal beginning the match as a substitute.

Those concerns were swiftly put to rest as events unfolded at Alinma Bank Stadium. Barcelona completely overwhelmed Athletic Club, netting four times within a 16-minute span during the opening half. Ferran Torres, Fermín López, Roony Bardghji and Raphinha all found the back of the net before the interval.

Raphinha completed his double after the break, sealing a commanding triumph that propelled Hansi Flick's team into the Spanish Super Cup final, where they will aim to retain their crown against either Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid.

Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Athletic Club (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Joan García—7.8: Emerged victorious in the goalkeeping duel against Unai Simón with comfort, though it should be noted he faced minimal challenges. Nevertheless, García will hope his display caught Spain manager Luis de la Fuente's attention.

RB: Jules Koundé—7.3: Composed with the ball, yet still found himself outmaneuvered by Robert Navarro's dribbling skills on several occasions, serving as a cautionary note for the upcoming final.

CB: Pau Cubarsí—7.3: Utilized the comfortable scoreline to transform the match into something resembling a passing exercise from deep positions.

CB: Eric García—7.9: Arguably his most straightforward outing this campaign. Spent the majority of the evening simply mopping up from the halfway line.

LB: Alejandro Balde—7.0: Combined effectively with Raphinha, but was ultimately content to allow his colleagues to dictate proceedings, only stepping in when required to neutralize Álex Berenguer.

DM: Pedri—7.5: Appeared to be participating in a training exercise. Effortlessly controlled the tempo and possessed more class in a single pass than virtually all of Athletic Club's midfield players.

DM: Frenkie de Jong—6.7: An understated 64-minute showing from De Jong, whose defensive duties were rarely required in Jeddah.

RW: Roony Bardghji—9.2: Rose to the occasion with exceptional creativity and even secured a goal to render Yamal completely unnecessary for the semifinal encounter.

AM: Fermín López—9.3: Struggled initially but completely redeemed himself with his three goal involvements in a display impressive enough to keep Dani Olmo benched for the final.

LW: Raphinha—9.3: Thrived on the left wing after enduring difficulties in a more central role at the weekend. Could have easily recorded more than just two goals and an assist had he completed the full 90 minutes, given how thoroughly he tormented Jesús Areso.

ST: Ferran Torres—7.9: Once again excelled with his intelligent movement and precise finishing. Will feel frustrated to depart with only one goal against such vulnerable defending.

Subs not used: Diego Kochen (GK), Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), Dani Olmo, Dro Fernandez, Tommy Marques, Marc Casadó, Robert Lewandowski.

Athletic Club (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Unai Simón; Jesús Areso, Dani Vivian, Aitor Paredes, Adama Boiro; Mikel Jauregizar, Alejandro Rego; Álex Berenguer, Oihan Sancet, Robert Navarro; Iñaki Williams.

Subs used: Gorka Guruzeta, Íñigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Unai Gómez, Iñigo Lekue, Selton Sánchez.

Player of the Match: Raphinha (Barcelona)

Barcelona 5–0 Athletic Club—How It Unfolded at Alinma Bank Stadium

Despite Yamal's absence, Barcelona made an impressive start in Jeddah. The Catalans dominated virtually every moment of the opening period, probing Athletic Club's defensive setup while seeking the match's first goal.

Raphinha and Fermín López enjoyed excellent opportunities to break the deadlock, but both players lacked precision in crucial moments, drawing frustrated reactions from the predominantly Barcelona-supporting crowd at Alinma Bank Stadium. Nevertheless, it seemed inevitable that Flick's side would eventually find their breakthrough.

Roony Bardghji channeled his inner Yamal on the right wing, outmaneuvering Adama Boiro before locating Fermín centrally in the penalty box. The Spaniard dragged his subsequent attempt woefully off target, but fortunately for him—and his team—the ball ricocheted to Torres, who gave the hosts a 1–0 advantage in the 22nd minute with a right-footed effort.

Fermín may not have merited much praise for the setup, but he certainly earned his spot on the scoresheet at the 30-minute mark. The 22-year-old concluded a magnificent move involving Raphinha and Pedri with a thunderous finish from 12 yards.

Athletic Club keeper Unai Simón stood no chance of preventing the powerful effort, but he was embarrassingly culpable for Barcelona's third goal just four minutes later. The Spain international appeared set to make a routine stop against a low attempt from Bardghji, but failed to prevent the ball from crossing the goal line.

Matters rapidly deteriorated for Valverde's team. Already trailing by three goals, the visitors seemingly abandoned all defensive resolve, even against one of Spanish football's premier attackers in Raphinha. Jesús Areso permitted the Brazilian to advance into the area and shift onto his left foot, which subsequently unleashed a spectacular strike into the net's roof.

Despite holding a 4–0 advantage, Barcelona displayed no intention of easing up. The reigning Spanish champions began the second period pursuing a fifth goal, waiting merely eight minutes before Raphinha converted it courtesy of more woeful Athletic defending.

The match's frantic tempo subsided during the final 30 minutes. Once Flick withdrew most of his key players, including Raphinha, Pedri and the outstanding Bardghji, the contest lost its intensity, despite a brief cameo from Yamal.

Athletic Club attempted to salvage a consolation strike as time elapsed in Jeddah, but ultimately secured their return journey to Bilbao in complete humiliation while Barcelona confirmed their place in the Spanish Super Cup final.

Barcelona vs. Athletic Club Halftime Stats

Barcelona vs. Athletic Club Full Time Stats