- Goals from Gavi and Yamal secure a 2-0 victory for Barcelona against Athletic Club
- The Catalan club will face either Real Madrid or Mallorca in Sunday's final
- The 2025 tournament is being held at King Abdullah Sports City
- Yamal is determined to win his first Barcelona trophy in Jeddah
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (January 8, 2025) – Barcelona made a triumphant return to Jeddah on Wednesday evening, defeating Athletic Club 2-0 in the Supercopa de Espana semi-finals in front of an electric atmosphere at King Abdullah Sports City.
A goal in the 17th minute from midfielder Gavi sent Barcelona on their way before winger Lamine Yamal doubled their advantage early in the second half. Athletic twice had the ball in the back of the net in the final eight minutes, but efforts from Oscar de Marcos and Inaki Williams were ruled out for offside following VAR consultations.
The victory sends Barcelona through to Sunday's final and a showdown with either rivals Real Madrid or Mallorca, who meet in Thursday's second semi-final at King Abdullah Sports City. Should the Catalan club collect the trophy, it will be a record-extending 15th Supercopa title.
It was an impressive display from Barcelona, who were cheered on by a boisterous crowd in Jeddah. The fans were given plenty to celebrate when Gavi put his side ahead, the Spanish midfielder getting on the end of left-back Alejandro Balde's low cross with a first-time finish.
Barca began to build some momentum but Athletic posed a threat and had a few chances of their own to equalise during the first half. The Basque club were made to pay for not scoring as Yamal, the teenage sensation who helped Spain win the European Championship last summer, scored Barcelona's second goal in the 52nd minute.
This time Gavi turned provider as the midfielder collected the ball following an excellent tackle from Inigo Martinez and sent a perfectly weighted chip into Yamal, who turned and strode into the Athletic area before sending his left-footed finish beyond Unai Simon.
Athletic continued to cause problems on the break and thought they had fought back into the game only for De Marcos and Williams to both be found marginally offside.
For Barcelona, it was a welcome return to form having lost consecutive La Liga matches before the winter break. The evening was made even better for Barca following the news that players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor had been granted permission to be re-registered to the squad.
Flick said: 'I'm very happy. We were looking for the 2-0 victory so this is very good. We are in the final and this was our goal. We are happy also that the team performed well.'
On the return of Olmo and Victor, Flick added: 'I am really happy with it. I think the whole team, the players of course. Dani [Olmo] and Pau [Victor] are more than happy. So is everyone at the club. It is the right decision.'
Goalscorer Yamal had missed Barcelona's last two games before the winter break with an ankle injury but marked his return with a bright display and a well-taken finish. Yamal has taken the football world by storm since breaking into the Barcelona team last season, and the 17-year-old star said he is determined to win his first trophy with his club this week in Jeddah.
Yamal said: 'The objective was to reach the final. Bilbao is a very strong team physically and we suffered a bit at the end of the first half. Every time the coach gives me confidence, I am very happy to help the team. I am very happy, especially that we qualified for the final.
'It doesn't matter [who Barcelona play in the final]. It will be a tough match and we want the title. We will wait to know our opponent in the final. I look forward to winning my first title [with Barcelona].'
The Supercopa de Espana is being staged in Saudi Arabia as part of a long-term partnership with the Royal Spanish Football Federation, which will keep the competition in the Kingdom until 2029. It is part of Saudi Arabia's commitment to delivering the world's best sports events while inspiring the population to get active and live healthy lifestyles.
In addition to the Supercopa de Espana, Saudi Arabia hosts the Supercoppa Italiana and is set to welcome the biggest international tournaments in the future, including the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
- The first Supercopa de Espana held in Saudi Arabia took place in Jeddah in 2020.
- The 2025 Supercopa de Espana is the fifth edition of the tournament in Saudi Arabia.
- The Supercopa de Espana will be staged in Saudi Arabia until 2029 as part of a long-term partnership with the Royal Spanish Federation (RFEF).
- Real Madrid have won three of the four Supercopa de Espanas that have taken place in Saudi Arabia. Barcelona won the other tournament in 2023.
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