Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona set to clash in Supercopa de España semifinal

Athletic Bilbao will put their 15-match unbeaten competitive run on the line when they face Barcelona in the semifinal of the Supercopa de España in Jeddah.

The Basque side, who won their first Copa del Rey trophy in 40 years last season, have a proud record in this competition, having reached the final in each of their previous six appearances.

Athletic’s recent form has been impressive, with the team extending their unbeaten run to 15 matches, winning 11 and 4 draws with a penalty shootout victory over Logroñés in the Copa del Rey at the weekend.

They will be looking to preserve their record of reaching the final of this competition, and their recent Super Cup record suggests they have a good chance of doing so, having won four of their last six matches (D1, L1).

Barcelona, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back from consecutive league defeats that saw them fall behind in the La Liga title race. The Catalans cruised past fourth-tier club Barbastro 4-0 in the Copa del Rey at the weekend and will be hoping to record back-to-back victories for the first time since November.

The Blaugrana have a rich history in the Supercopa de España, having won 14 titles, and will be looking to reach a third successive final. However, their recent performances in the competition have been inconsistent, with only five wins in their last 11 Super Cup matches losing 6.

The match promises to be an exciting encounter, with both teams having a strong record in cup competitions. Athletic have won four of the last five H2Hs in cup competitions, including one loss, although they lost 2-1 to Barcelona in the opening stages of La Liga this season.

Iñaki Williams has six goals in ten cup competitions against Barcelona, and Pedri, who scored in Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Real Madrid in the 2023 final, are the two players to watch out for. With both teams looking to make a statement, this match could be decided handsomely one way or the other.