Barcelona and Athletic Club are set for a Spanish Super Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Barcelona aims to extend their winning streak to nine matches and secure a spot in the Super Cup final.
Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Wednesday, January 7.
- Kick-off: 7pm BST.
- Venue: Alinma Bank Stadium, Jeddah.
Barcelona Team News
Barcelona welcomes back several players recovering from injuries before the semi-final. Dani Olmo is fit again after a shoulder dislocation and scored in his return against Espanyol. Pedri is also available after minor discomfort last month. Jules Koundé, who had slight issues in the last match, is expected to play after clearance from medical staff.
Ronald Araujo has resumed training after a mental health break but isn’t fully fit. His return is important with Andreas Christensen out due to a partial ACL tear, expected to recovery until April.
Gavi is unavailable following meniscus surgery in September, with a return planned for February. The club has until January 9 to submit a medical report to La Liga to register a replacement using part of Christensen’s salary. Barcelona has no suspended players for this match.
Athletic Club Team News
Athletic Club faces multiple injuries ahead of their trip to Saudi Arabia. Aymeric Laporte is out with a leg injury, expected to return mid-January, while Yuri Berchiche is also sidelined with a hamstring issue.
Benat Prados is out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury, and Unai Eguiluz will be unavailable until mid-February with the same condition. Yeray Alvarez is suspended.
Form
Barcelona
Barcelona finished the first half of the season strongly, maintaining their lead in La Liga with a 2-0 win over Espanyol on January 3.
Goals from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski, both assisted by Fermin López, showcased their resilience against tough opponents. They haven’t lost a domestic match since late October.
Athletic Club
After a 1-1 draw with Osasuna on January 3, Athletic Club sits in eighth place, accumulating 24 points from 19 matches. They are four points behind sixth-placed Real Betis, which is the cut-off for European qualification. This season, Valverde’s team has struggled, winning only seven league matches, drawing three, and losing nine.
Predicted Lineups
Barcelona: J Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martin, Balde; E Garcia, De Jong; Raphinha, Pedri, Yamal; Torres.
Athletic Club: Simon; Gorosabel, Vivian, Paredes, Boiro; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; I Williams, Sancet, N Williams; Guruzeta.
How to Watch Barcelona vs Athletic Club
Viewers in the UK can watch the match on TNT Sports 1.
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