Barcelona secured a spot in the Spanish Super Cup final after a convincing 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The win came despite the absence of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, who were ruled out due to a delayed court decision.
Spain’s top sports court, Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD), had temporarily cleared Olmo and Victor to play after their La Liga registration was canceled on December 31 for non-compliance with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. However, the delayed verdict prevented their participation in the semifinal. La Liga has opposed the ruling and plans to appeal the decision.
Young stars Gavi and Lamine Yamal stepped up in their absence to secure Barcelona’s victory. Gavi, playing in place of Olmo, opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a header from an Alejandro Balde cross, marking his first goal since returning from an ACL injury in November 2023. Yamal doubled the lead in the 52nd minute with a composed finish following a defense-splitting assist from Gavi. The 17-year-old celebrated his goal in the style of his football idol Neymar.
