Three takeaways from Barcelona 5-0 Athletic Club | Spanish Super Cup | OneFootball

It was simply too easy for Barcelona in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup last night as they demolished Athletic Club with a dominant scoreline of 5-0 in Saudi Arabia.

Ferran Torres opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, and his strike opened the floodgates for the rest of the team.

By the 38th minute, the Catalans found themselves 4-0 up and enjoying an attack-intensive game with Fermin Lopez, Roony Bardghji and Raphinha also joining the party with goals.

The second half was no less dangerous as Raphinha scored soon after the restart to make it five.

Beyond that point, the Catalans created numerous chances despite the substitutions, but simply were not clinical enough to convert.

Moreover, the opposition had already gone into a damage-control state and was defending more deeply by that point.

Barça Universal brings you three takeaways from Barcelona 5-0 Athletic Club.

Dominant at last

While Athletic Club did conjure some chances of their own towards the fag end of the game, last night was all about Barcelona and their dominance at long last.

Barcelona were at their brutal best against Athletic Club. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Hansi Flick’s men have been on a good run of results since the defeat to Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League and have not dropped a point in eight games heading into the Spanish Super Cup.

Yet, there was a sense of dissatisfaction about the team’s performances against Villarreal and Espanyol, with the opponents dominating them in both outings.

Last night, however, was different. Barcelona not only won but did so with conviction, a sense of ease and undeniable dominance.

The manner in which they buried the result before half-time showed simply how far above Athletic Club they were in quality.

The Catalans had 80% of the possession on the night with a total of 13 shots taken. They completed over 800 passes, more than four times as many as the Basque side, and every attack was executed with a clear idea in mind.

Even the defence did decently on the night and did not leave the goalkeeper too exposed, showing a clear improvement from recent games. Needless to say, Hansi Flick will be delighted with the team’s performance.

Roony Bardghji’s statement

Roony Bardghji was solid against Athletic Club. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

The big shocker in Barcelona’s starting lineup last night was the manager’s decision to start Roony Bardghji on the right wing ahead of Lamine Yamal, who started on the bench in a rather rare occurrence.

Flick’s decision may have been owing to a number of factors, including the hectic schedule ahead, which necessitates rotations and the fact that Yamal missed training with the group year owing to some discomfort.

Bardghji, thus, earned an opportunity, and he did not disappoint.

The 20-year-old dazzled on Barcelona’s wing, taking on defenders with conviction and linking up wonderfully with his teammates.

He did not hesitate to take the shot on goal either, providing an extra outlet in the final third. 

His efforts yielded fruit in the 34th minute when he executed a perfect dummy, changed direction and caught Unai Simon off guard with his shot. The goalkeeper fumbled, and Bardghji had his goal for the night.

He then even earned the assist for Raphinha’s first goal with a smart pass, but one that even he surely never expected to end in the back of the net.

After the break, he earned another assist for Raphinha’s second goal with a seemingly deflected light touch, and the player thus finished with two assists and a goal.

While Bardghji does indeed compete against the best right winger in world football for a place on the field, he has shown reason for Flick to hand him more minutes.

With a long season ahead and Yamal’s minutes in need of better management, last night’s game may well have made Bardghji that trusted option.

90 minutes away

Barcelona have eyes on the prize. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

The biggest takeaway from the win in the semifinal of the Supercopa de España, naturally, is that Barcelona are now in the final of the same competition and one step closer to their first title of the season.

As the defending champions, Flick’s men know well the importance of a title at this point in the season and the wonders it can do to the dressing room’s morale and the team’s unity.

After all, their magical turnaround in fortune in 2025 began with the El Clasico win in the final of the Super Cup.

The second semifinal will be played tonight between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid and will be tighter than many expect. In any case, Barcelona’s final will not be an easy one by any measure.

The finale will be played at the weekend, and all eyes will now be on taking home the trophy which is just 90 minutes away from the hands of the dressing room.

After a dominant 5-0 win in the semifinal, there is no doubt that the Catalans will feel confident about going all the way.

Having 24 hours of rest more than their opponents in the final, needless to say, comes as an added advantage, and Flick and co. will look to make the most of the extra day to recover and rejuvenate for the final.

After all, the team have six more games in January and the month will be a very hectic one.