Barcelona Open Supercopa Defence Against Athletic Bilbao in Saudi Arabia Showdown
Barcelona will begin the defence of their Supercopa de España title with a high-stakes semi-final clash against 2021 champions Athletic Bilbao, with either Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid awaiting the winner in the final.
Match News and Current Form
Barcelona head into the encounter in scintillating form, having continued their post-Christmas surge with a 2-0 victory over city rivals Espanyol. That result marked an eighth consecutive win for Hansi Flick’s side and extended their lead at the top of La Liga to four points.
Notably, Barcelona’s last four victories have all ended 2-0, a trend they will hope to replicate as they travel to Saudi Arabia. Their Supercopa defence in 2025 also began with a 2-0 win coincidentally against Athletic Bilbao and history suggests goals are rarely an issue for the Catalans in this competition. Barcelona have scored in all ten Supercopa matches played under the current format, netting two or more goals in eight of those fixtures.
Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, face a challenging mid-season trip to Jeddah amid a dip in form. The Basque side have managed just one win in their last five matches across all competitions (D2, L2), and captain Iñaki Williams has publicly criticised the tournament’s Saudi Arabia location, stating it makes his team feel like the “away side”.
Despite the odds appearing stacked against them, Athletic can draw confidence from past success. The 2021 Supercopa winners famously defeated Barcelona in the final, proving they are capable of rising to the occasion even without home support.
Head-to-Head History
Barcelona have largely dominated recent meetings between the two sides. Since their Copa del Rey elimination at the hands of Athletic in January 2024, Barça have conceded just once in the following five head-to-head encounters (W4, D1).
The Supercopa de España has also been a familiar battleground for both clubs. Eight of Athletic Bilbao’s 11 appearances in the competition have come against Barcelona, producing a balanced historical record of three wins, one draw, and four defeats for the Basque side.
ALSO READ: AFCON Last 16: Senegal Eye Quarter-Final Spot Against Sudan
Hot Stats and Streaks
- Ten of Barcelona’s last 11 goals have been scored after half-time.
- Four of Barcelona’s last five Supercopa matches ended in multi-goal margin results (L1).
- Seven of Athletic Bilbao’s previous nine games have finished under 2.5 goals.
- Four of Athletic’s five all-time Supercopa defeats were by margins of two or more goals.
Key Players to Watch and Team News
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal continues to shine on the big stage. The Barcelona winger has scored in three of his four Supercopa appearances, including a goal in last season’s 2-0 semi-final win over Athletic.
For the Basque outfit, Nico Williams will be key. All three of his goals this season have come before half-time, and he boasts three goal involvements against Barcelona ahead of what will be his joint career-high 12th appearance against a single opponent.
On the injury front, Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo is edging closer to a return following a mental health break. Athletic Bilbao, however, remain without Aymeric Laporte and Yuri Berchiche, who are still working their way back to full fitness.
Betting Insight
Considering Barcelona’s imperious recent form and Athletic Bilbao’s inconsistent run, backing Barcelona to win with a -1 handicap could offer value ahead of this Supercopa semi-final encounter.
As the Supercopa spotlight shifts to Saudi Arabia, all eyes will be on whether Barcelona can continue their dominance or if Athletic Bilbao can once again upset the Catalan giants on the big stage.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE LIVE MATCH
Join our WHATSAPP CHANNEL, WHATSAPP GROUP 1, WHATSAPP GROUP 2 and TELEGRAM CHANNEL to get all relevant teaching resources to make your lessons effective.
Subscribe to this blog and follow us on facebook
