Barcelona beat Athletic without Olmo to reach Spanish Super Cup final | Football news

Barcelona reached the final of the Spanish Super Cup with a 2-0 win against Athletic Bilbao in Saudi Arabia.

Young stars Gavi and Lamine Yamal fired Barcelona, ​​without Dani Olmo after his playing license was revoked, into the Spanish Super Cup final with a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.

Spaniard Olmo was cleared to play again ahead of Wednesday’s game, but the decision came too late for him or substitute Pau Victor to play against Copa del Rey winners Athletic.

Gavi put Barcelona ahead after 17 minutes and youngster Yamal scored the second after the break.

Spanish and European champions Real Madrid will face cup finalists Mallorca on Thursday in the second semi-final.

“We don’t care [who we face in the final]. It will be difficult and we want to win it, which is important, to return home with the title,” Yamal told Movistar after the match.

Barcelona, ​​who finished as runners-up in LaLiga, started well and Raphinha bent the ball from Jules Kounde and forced Unai Simon to save well with a free-kick.

Unsurprisingly when the Catalans broke the deadlock Alejandro Balde cut the ball back to Gavi, replacing Olmo in midfield, and headed home.

The 20-year-old pointed to an imaginary clock in his celebration, a nod to Olmo, who often produces a similar gesture after scoring a goal.

At the other end, Inaki Williams rode the ball for a long time as Athletic’s excellent first-half attack crumbled.

Yamal, 17, should have added Barcelona’s second after Raphinha’s shot was saved but he mishandled the lob.

Wojciech Szczesny, on his second start in goal for Barcelona, ​​did a good job to deny Inaki Williams before the break.

Barcelona doubled their lead early in the second half when Gavi slipped past Yamal who finished with aplomb.

“Athletic is a physical team that makes you run a lot. We suffered more than anything towards the end, but we managed to play well, and we are very happy,” added Yamal.

Veteran Polish international Robert Lewandowski spurned a good chance to add a third, firing on target from a well-placed finish.

Athletics coach Ernesto Valverde, who was sacked as Barcelona manager after losing at the same stadium in 2020, has brought in Nico Williams to try and change the game.

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

The midfielder set up Oscar de Marcos to score, but the Athletic defender was just offside and the goal was disallowed.

Inaki Williams also had a goal ruled out for offside after Frenkie de Jong’s shot at the back post deflected off Alvaro Djalo on its way to the Ghana international.

Barcelona have secured their victory and await their opponents in Sunday’s final, where Olmo will be allowed to participate.