Barcelona appear to be soaring this season. Riding a wave of confidence after winning eight consecutive matches across all competitions, the Catalan giants had already secured a spot in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. And it seems their lethal form has only sharpened in the Middle East. On Tuesday night, Barcelona delivered a stunning display, thrashing Athletic Bilbao 5-0 to book their place in the final.
Athletic Bilbao, once led by former Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde, have struggled this season. The Basque side currently languish outside the top six in La Liga and face the looming possibility of early exit from the Champions League. On paper, a victory for Barcelona against such a beleaguered side seemed likely—but the scale of their dominance under coach Hans-Dieter Flick was still extraordinary.
From the first whistle, Barcelona were relentless. In a blistering opening spell, they netted four goals in just 16 minutes, between the 22nd and 38th minutes. Remarkably, this was achieved with young prodigy Lamine Yamal left on the bench.
It was Roni Bardagi who seized the spotlight. The Swedish forward scored once himself and set up two goals for Raphinha. With a little more fortune, he might have had two additional assists to his name.
In the 22nd minute, Bardagi surged down the right, passing to Fermín López, whose ball found Ferran Torres, opening the scoring.
By the 33rd minute, Bardagi’s solo run down the flank earned him a goal.
Just five minutes later, he set up Raphinha for Barcelona’s fourth.
In the 51st minute, a deflected effort off Bardagi’s foot allowed Raphinha to complete the scoring, securing a 5-0 rout.
Key Match Events
| Minute | Scorer | Assist/Note | Goal Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Ferran Torres | Assist: Roni Bardagi → Fermín López | Open Play |
| 33 | Roni Bardagi | Solo effort | Individual Skill |
| 38 | Raphinha | Assist: Bardagi | Open Play |
| 51 | Raphinha | Deflection off Bardagi | Tap-in |
After such a commanding performance, Barcelona now await their final opponents. Tonight, the other Super Cup semi-final will see Real Madrid face Atlético Madrid in a high-stakes Madrid derby. The winner of that clash will meet Barcelona on 12 January in the Super Cup final, where the Catalan side will aim to continue their impressive run.
