The Spanish Super Cup semi-finals get underway on Wednesday 7 January, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00, as Barcelona face Athletic Club Bilbao in a one-off knockout clash with a place in the final on the line. The match will be played at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Spanish Super Cup Background & Qualification
The Spanish Super Cup follows a four-team format, featuring:
- the winners and runners-up of the Copa del Rey, and
- the top two finishers in LaLiga.
In this particular season, the top two LaLiga finishers also contested the Copa del Rey final, meaning the remaining Super Cup places were allocated to the third- and fourth-placed teams in LaLiga. This represents the first occurrence of this qualification scenario since the introduction of the four-team format in 2020.
As a result, the four qualified teams are:
- Real Madrid – LaLiga champions
- Barcelona – LaLiga runners-up
- Athletic Bilbao – LaLiga third place
- Mallorca – LaLiga fourth place
The second semi-final will be played on Thursday 8 January, when Real Madrid take on Mallorca, with the winners of both semi-finals progressing to the Spanish Super Cup Final, to be played later in the week at the same venue – look out for our previews of the 2nd semi-final and the final later in the week.
Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao – Match Preview
Recent Head-to-Head
Barcelona have dominated recent meetings between the sides:
- Barcelona 4–0 Athletic Bilbao (LaLiga, Nov 2025)
- Athletic Bilbao 0–2 Barcelona (Spanish Super Cup, Jan 2025)
- Athletic Bilbao 0–3 Barcelona (LaLiga, May 2025)
- Barcelona 2–1 Athletic Bilbao (LaLiga, Aug 2024)
Athletic have failed to score in three of the last four meetings, with Barcelona consistently controlling the key phases of play.
Current Form & League Position
Barcelona arrive in Jeddah in excellent domestic form and are currently top of LaLiga, pairing one of the league’s strongest defensive records with a consistent attacking output. They have won 8 matches in a row across all competitions and have not conceded a goal in their last 8 games.
Athletic Bilbao are currently 8th in LaLiga, enjoying a solid league campaign overall, but their form against top-ranked opposition has been mixed. While competitive and well-organised, they have found goals harder to come by in recent meetings with elite sides. They have only won 1 of their last 5 matches, 4 of which have delivered profits for over 2.5 goal backers.
Betting – Click here to bet
Match Odds
- Barcelona 1.50
- Draw 4.50
- Athletic Bilbao 5.75
Goals & Both Teams to Score
- Over 3.5 Goals 2.25
- Under 3.5 Goals 1.61
- Both Teams to Score – Yes 1.65
- Both Teams to Score – No 2.15
Verdict
Recent head-to-head dominance, superior league position, and stronger overall form make Barcelona deserved favourites in this semi-final. Athletic Bilbao have had a good domestic season, but they are struggling for goals and my money is on Barcelona to win with a clean sheet.
Suggested Bet: Match Result and Both Teams to Score, Barcelona and NO at 2.90
Note: All odds correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
