January 08, (THEWILL) – Barcelona advanced to the Supercopa de España final following a 2-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao in their semi-final encounter. The Catalan side showed their dominance from the beginning, controlling possession throughout the match.
The opening goal arrived in the 17th minute through Gavi, who found the net following an intricate team movement initiated by Balde. This marked a significant moment for the young midfielder, who registered his first goal since returning from a cruciate ligament injury.
The lead doubled in the 52nd minute when Yamal executed a remarkable finish. The sequence began with Gavi distributing a precise pass that split the defence, allowing Yamal to control the ball mid-flight before directing it beyond Unai Simon’s reach at the near post.
Athletic Bilbao mounted considerable pressure during the second half, particularly through substitutes Mikel Jauregizar and Mikel Vesga, who tested goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny multiple times. The Basque side had two goals disallowed in the final stages – first when Oscar De Marcos was marginally offside from Nico’s pass in the 82nd minute, followed by another VAR intervention four minutes later ruling out Inaki’s effort due to an offside in the build-up.
The victory sets up a Supercopa de España final on Sunday, where Barcelona will compete against either Real Madrid or Mallorca. Meanwhile, Athletic Club return to domestic action next week, preparing for a Copa del Rey fixture against regional rivals Osasuna.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
