Fermin Lopez delivered a standout performance with one goal and two assists as Barcelona overwhelmed Athletic Bilbao 5-0 in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal on Wednesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The emphatic win extended Barcelona’s winning streak to nine matches and underlined their intent to defend the trophy they lifted last season.
Barcelona were in complete control from the early stages and had effectively settled the contest by halftime, racing into a commanding 4-0 lead. Their reward is a place in Sunday’s final, where they will face the winner of Thursday’s second semifinal between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, also being played in Jeddah.
The opening goal arrived in the 22nd minute and owed much to Fermin’s awareness. His awkward pass into the box appeared to be a mis-hit shot, but Ferran Torres reacted sharply. A fine first touch set him up to fire home from seven yards and give Barcelona a deserved lead.
Eight minutes later, the advantage doubled. Raphinha drove to the byline and delivered a low cross into the heart of the penalty area, where Fermin timed his run perfectly and turned the ball brilliantly into the net.
Fermin was at the heart of Barcelona’s third as well. On 34 minutes, he turned provider once again, slipping a simple pass to Roony Bardghji, who showed impressive composure. Bardghji twisted and turned inside the box before finishing low past the goalkeeper to make it 3-0.
Barcelona were rampant by this stage and added a fourth before the break. Raphinha burst into the penalty area and blasted a powerful shot into the roof of the net, capping a devastating first-half display.
The Brazilian winger completed his brace early in the second half. On 52 minutes, Athletic Bilbao failed to clear their lines, and Raphinha pounced to fire a left-footed shot home and make it 5-0.
With this dominant victory, Barcelona moved one step closer to retaining the Spanish Super Cup. They are aiming to extend their record in the competition to 15 titles, with the final scheduled to be played on Sunday in Jeddah.
