Barcelona to face Athletic in Spanish Super Cup final

Barcelona will face Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday after the Basque side beat Real Madrid 2-1 in Thursday’s second semi-final.

Two goals from none other than Raul Garcia secured the victory for Marcelino’s men at La Roselada in Malaga even though Karim Benzema pulled one back for Los Blancos.

The win means there will be no Clasico final and instead Barcelona will face a team they met in La Liga just over a week ago.

Ronald Koeman’s side ran out 3-2 winners at San Mames on January 6 with Lionel Messi scoring twice and Pedri also on target.

The game was Marcelino’s first in charge after replacing Gaizka Garitano as boss of the Basque side and he admitted he could take positives from the game.

“I take two positives. These first 20 minutes and the satisfaction of the team working and trying with the score against them. That tells me the boys want it and that the team will improve.

“Before the game it passed through my head that I hoped Messi was not at his top level the day I returned to coaching, but that’s how it was. In some moments we could have done a bit more to stop him, but he was the most decisive player in the game.”

Athletic bounced back well from that defeat to see off Real Madrid on Thursday. The Basque side, who are still to play their Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad, last won the trophy in 2015, although that’s probably best forgotten to be honest.