Barcelona rout Athletic Club to reach Spanish Super Cup final

Barcelona booked their place in the Spanish Super Cup final in emphatic fashion after thrashing Athletic Club 5–0 at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah, extending their winning streak to nine straight matches in all competitions.
Inspired by a brilliant Raphinha double, the Catalan giants produced one of their most ruthless performances of the season, overwhelming the Basque side with pace, movement and clinical finishing.
Fast start, but Barça take control
Athletic Club showed early intent, winning three corners inside the opening three minutes as they tried to unsettle Barcelona. But once the early pressure faded, Barça began to dictate the tempo.
Pedri tested Unai Simón after a slick team move, before Fermín López squandered a golden chance when clean through on goal. It was a warning sign Athletic failed to heed.
Moments later, Fermín made amends with a clever assist, laying the ball into the path of Ferran Torres, who lifted a delicate finish over Simón to open the scoring.
Raphinha sparks total collapse
Athletic’s resistance crumbled quickly. Just before the half-hour mark, Raphinha delivered a perfect cross for Fermín, who fired home with his left foot to make it 2–0.
Five minutes later, Barcelona struck again. Roony Bardghji skipped past Adama Boiro and fired toward goal, with Simón letting the ball slip under his body in a moment Athletic would want to forget.
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Before halftime, Raphinha capped a devastating first half with the goal of the night, smashing a powerful strike into the roof of the net to give Barça a commanding 4–0 lead at the break.
Barcelona showed no sign of easing off after the interval. Despite Athletic’s desperate attempts to clear their lines, the fifth goal arrived quickly.
Once again, Raphinha was the difference, pouncing inside the box to complete his brace and underline a sensational individual display.
Athletic tried to salvage some pride late on. Mikel Jauregizar tested Joan García, while Unai Gómez somehow missed the target from close range, but the damage was already done.
Barcelona roll on
The result continued Barcelona’s remarkable Super Cup scoring run. They have now found the net in all 11 matches since the competition adopted its current format, scoring at least twice in nine of those games.
Athletic Club, meanwhile, continue to struggle for consistency, managing just one win in their last six matches across all competitions.
Barcelona now move one step away from another trophy as they head into the Spanish Super Cup final full of confidence, momentum and attacking firepower.
Chris John