Barcelona defeat Athletic without Olmo to reach Spanish Super Cup final

With a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona’s young stars Gavi and Lamine Yamal resigned after Dani Olmo’s player license was suspended.

Before the game on Wednesday, Spanish playmaker Olmo was given a temporary suspension before the match, but he or Pau Victor, who are both in the same position, were unable to play against Copa del Rey champion Athletic.

After 17 minutes, Gavi put Barcelona ahead from close range, and Yamal, a teen winger, added the second shortly after the break.

Real Madrid, the reigning champion of Spain and Europe, will face Mallorca in the second semifinal on Thursday.

“We don’t care]who we face in the final]. After the game, Yamal told Movistar, “It will be difficult, and we want to win it, which is crucial, and return home with the trophy.”

Raphinha volleyed home from a fine Jules Kounde cross and forced Unai Simon into a good save with a free kick, making Barcelona’s qualifying as LaLiga runners-up.

When the Catalans broke the deadlock, Alejandro Balde cut the ball back for Gavi, who was playing in Olmo’s attacking midfield, to turn home.

The 20-year-old pointed at an imaginary watch in his celebration, a nod to Olmo, who regularly produces the same gesture after scoring.

Inaki Williams dallied on the ball too long as Athletic’s best attacking move of the first half came to an end.

Yamal, 17, should have added Barcelona’s second after Raphinha’s shot was saved but miscued an attempted lob.

Wojciech Szczesny, on his second start in goal for Barcelona, made a good save to keep Inaki Williams at bay before the break.

When Gavi slipped in Yamal, who finished with aplomb, to double Barcelona’s lead early in the second half.

“Athletic are a very physical team that demands a lot of running.” We suffered above all towards the end, but we were able to play well, and we’re very happy”, Yamal added.

Veteran Polish forward Robert Lewandowski spurned a fine chance to add the third, firing off-target when well-placed.

Nico Williams was hired to try and turn the game around after Ernesto Valverde was fired as Barcelona’s manager in 2020.

The Spain international, heavily linked with Barcelona in the summer, was not fit enough to start, but made a positive impact from the bench.

Oscar de Marcos fired a goal from the winger, but the Athletic defender had just scuffled and the goal was denied.

After Frenkie de Jong’s poor backpass diverted a slight deflection off Alvaro Djalo on his way to the Ghana international, Inaki Williams also had a goal that was ruled out for offside.