Barcelona, Jan 13: Barcelona clinched a 2-0 victory against Osasuna, setting the stage for a rematch with Real Madrid in the Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal found the net for the Catalan club, adding to their triumph last year without Lionel Messi under coach Xavi Hernández.
Madrid secured their final spot by defeating Atletico Madrid 5-3 in extra time on Wednesday.
A year ago, Barcelona qualified for the Super Cup as the Spanish league champion, while Osasuna earned their spot by reaching the Copa del Rey final, where they lost to Madrid.
Having triumphed 3-1 against Madrid in the previous season, another victory would be crucial for Barcelona, currently seven points behind league leaders Madrid and Girona at the competition’s halfway point.
Despite early dominance, the first half saw few chances, but Barcelona maintained control and broke the deadlock in the 59th minute with a Lewandowski goal assisted by Ilkay. Yamal sealed the victory in stoppage time after a stellar run by Félix.
Osasuna, consistently finishing above 11th in the Spanish league since their return to the first division in 2019, attempted a late push but struggled to create significant chances.
Barcelona’s Raphinha had to be substituted due to a muscle injury near the end of the first half.
The Riyadh stadium buzzed with around 600 Osasuna fans, while no significant fan contingent supported Barcelona, Madrid, or Atletico during Wednesday’s semifinal.
The Super Cup’s revamped “Final Four” format debuted in Saudi Arabia in 2020 as part of a lucrative multi-year deal for the clubs and the Spanish soccer federation.
This Super Cup introduces a groundbreaking aspect, making audios between officials during video reviews available after matches, a procedure set to continue during Spanish league matches.