Barcelona’s quest to defend their Spanish Super Cup crown begins with a semifinal bout against Athletic Club on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia.
The Catalans are far and away the most in-form team in Spain, landing in the Middle East amid a perfect 10-match domestic run that dates back to early November. Barcelona will be further motivated after clinching a nail-biting win against Espanyol at the weekend in the first Catalan derby of the season.
But the good news doesn’t stop there. The defending Spanish champions are the healthiest they’ve been all season, with Andreas Christensen and Gavi standing out as the only two players Hansi Flick can’t call upon against Athletic, although there’s still uncertainty over Ronald Araujo’s status even if he has made the trip.
Barcelona made light work of Athletic Club when the two sides met less than two months ago, but regardless of the recent precedent, Flick’s men can’t afford to underrate their rivals. After conquering a domestic treble a season ago, the expectation is to repeat that success, and victory on Wednesday would be the first major step towards achieving that goal.
Here’s how Barcelona could line up against Athletic Club in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Athletic Club (4-2-3-1)
GK: Joan García—The €25 million ($28.5 million) Barcelona paid for García last summer already looks like an absolute bargain. The Spaniard’s playing like one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
RB: Jules Koundé—The Frenchman completely shut down Nico Williams the last time these two teams met and he’ll be tasked with replicating that effort on Wednesday.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—The teenager has strung together a handful of solid displays, an encouraging sign following a subpar start of the term.
CB: Gerard Martín—Barcelona have won all eight games they’ve played with the impressive Martín starting in the heart of their backline.
LB: Alejandro Balde—Balde’s raw quality has been easy to see since his breakout some years ago, but the dynamic left back has developed an edge and tenacious personality that was on full display in the Catalan derby.
DM: Eric García—It appears these days Garcia is the first name in Flick’s lineup. The versatile Spaniard will anchor Barcelona’s midfield as he has for the better part of the last two months.
DM: Pedri—Barcelona’s maestro will return to the XI after a 30-minute cameo at the weekend confirmed he’s left behind a muscular overload that forced him to miss the final game of 2025.
RW: Lamine Yamal—Barcelona’s best playmaker had a couple of assists last time out against Athletic Club and will remain the focal point of Flick’s attack in Saudi Arabia.
AM: Fermín López—Fermín was involved in both Barça goals against Espanyol after starting on the bench. With Dani Olmo only just recently recovered from injury, the La Masia graduate should get the nod in the semifinal.
LW: Raphinha—Raphinha looked like a shadow of himself playing through the middle on Saturday, making it abundantly clear he’s best served starting on the wing. Marcus Rashford will make way for the Brazilian to return to his usual home.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Athletic Club: Three Stars Return for Super Cup Charge.
