Preview: Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona - prediction, team news, lineups

A spot successful the Spanish Super Cup last volition beryllium astatine involvement erstwhile Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona successful Jeddah, Saudi Arabia connected Wednesday.

Athletic are featuring successful the semi-finals arsenic the Copa del Rey holders, portion the Blaugrana are competing successful the Super Cup courtesy of past season's second-place finish.

Match preview

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Athletic are competing successful the four-team format for the 3rd clip aft achieving glory successful past season's Copa del Rey.

Los Leones prevailed successful a punishment shootout successful April's last against Mallorca to assistance the Copa del Rey for the archetypal clip successful 40 years

Athletic volition question to Saudi Arabia with hopes of winning their 4th Spanish Super Cup and their 2nd successful the four-team format aft clinching the trophy successful 2021.

Ernesto Valverde's broadside volition caput into Wednesday's semi-final connected the backmost of a affirmative tally of form, having avoided decision successful each of their erstwhile 15 competitory matches, including six wins and 4 draws successful 10 league games to permission them successful 4th presumption and conscionable 2 points adrift of third-placed Barcelona.

While they whitethorn beryllium successful good form, Athletic were made to enactment hard successful the archetypal lucifer of their Copa del Rey defence against fourth-tier Logrones, with Los Leones prevailing connected penalties aft being held to a goalless gully successful 120 minutes.

Athletic volition present crook their absorption to Wednesday's semi-final, and portion they whitethorn person claimed an extra-time triumph implicit Barcelona successful past season's Copa del Rey, they person not beaten the Blaugrana successful regularisation clip since signaling a 1-0 triumph successful February 2020.

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Like Athletic, Barcelona successfully negotiated a Copa del Rey crippled against a lower-league opponent, though they made overmuch easier enactment of their clash against Barbastro than the Basque broadside did successful their Round of 32 necktie against Logrones.

Robert Lewandowski netted a brace alongside goals from Eric Garcia and Pablo Torre to occurrence Barcelona to a commanding 4-0 triumph implicit the fourth-tier side.

The Blaugrana would person been relieved to debar immoderate slip-ups successful the Copa del Rey tie, particularly aft they went into the wintertime interruption connected the backmost of a mediocre tally of signifier successful La Liga, winning conscionable 1 of their last 7 league games of 2024 (D2, L4) - a important opposition to a broadside that began the run with 11 wins successful 12 La Liga matches (L1).

As a effect of that mediocre form, Hansi Flick's broadside are present sitting successful 3rd presumption successful the league standings - 3 points adrift of second-placed Atletico Madrid, who person a crippled successful hand, and 5 points distant from leaders Real Madrid.

Barcelona volition effort to get their league run backmost connected way erstwhile they look Getafe connected January 18, but first, they volition caput to Saudi Arabia with hopes of claiming their 15th Spanish Super Cup and their 2nd successful the four-team format.

The Catalan giants whitethorn beryllium capable to gully inspiration from the information they person prevailed successful the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals successful the past 2 seasons, beating Real Betis connected penalties successful 2023 earlier signaling a 2-0 triumph implicit Osasuna successful past season's last four.

Athletic Bilbao signifier (all competitions):

Barcelona signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Barcelona person included Dani Olmo and Pau Victor successful their travelling enactment contempt the ongoing registration issues affecting the 2 players.

As a result, it is presently unclear whether the Blaugrana volition find a solution to marque Olmo and Victor disposable for Wednesday's semi-final.

Hector Fort, Andreas Christensen and Ferran Torres person each recovered from their respective issues and are apt to diagnostic connected the seat against Athletic.

Lamine Yamal is besides acceptable to instrumentality to the squad aft missing the past 2 matches with an ankle injury, but the 17-year-old whitethorn not beryllium risked from the commencement owed to his constricted grooming time.

Flick is acceptable to marque respective changes to the broadside that started the triumph implicit Barbastro, with Inaki Pena, Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde, Gavi and Raphinha each acceptable to travel into the starting lineup.

Yeray Alvarez, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta and Oihan Sancet person each been struggling with wounded issues and volition person to beryllium assessed by Athletic's aesculapian unit up of Wednesday's semi-final.

Valverde is acceptable to marque respective changes to his broadside aft utilizing Saturday's Copa del Rey necktie arsenic an accidental to springiness playing clip to immoderate of the fringe members of his squad.

Unai Simon, Andoni Gorosabel, Dani Vivian and Yuri Berchiche are among those who are acceptable to travel into the lineup for Wednesday's semi-final clash.

Benat Prados and Mikel Jaurezigar are successful contention to commencement successful midfield, portion Nico Williams and Inaki Williams are expected to instrumentality to Athletic's flanks.

Athletic Bilbao imaginable starting lineup:
Simon; Gorosabel, Vivian, Paredes, Berchiche; Jauregizar, Prados; I. Williams, Berenguer, N. Williams; Guruzeta

We say: Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Barcelona

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