Barcelona Sees Boost from Saudi Hosted Spanish Super Cup Victory

Barcelona to Face Athletic Bilbao in Spanish Super Cup Semifinals

Barcelona will contest their Spanish Super Cup semifinal against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The match marks the beginning of Barcelona’s defense of their title, which they won last season as part of a domestic treble.

Coach Hansi Flick stated that retaining the Spanish Super Cup this week would provide a boost for his team’s other ambitions this season. Flick expressed his preference for the tournament format, saying it is “a little bit different” from the equivalent competition in Germany. He attributed last season’s victory to the energy it provided for the rest of the campaign.

Barcelona are favored to win the Super Cup and lead La Liga after nine consecutive top-flight victories. Despite a tense derby loss to Espanyol on Saturday, Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory with late goals and a standout performance from stopper Joan Garcia. Flick emphasized the need for improvement in defense, stating that making similar mistakes would not be easy.

Central defender Ronald Araujo is expected to return to action this week after an extended mental health break. Flick confirmed that Barcelona are close to signing Joao Cancelo from Al-Hilal on a loan deal, but the agreement has not been finalized.

Athletic Bilbao, eighth in La Liga, last won the Super Cup in 2021, defeating Barcelona in the final. The match against Athletic marks the second semifinal clash of the tournament, with Real Madrid facing Atletico Madrid on Thursday.

Source: Al Jazeera