Success in Saudi-hosted Spanish Super Cup win will give Barcelona ‘energy’

Barcelona statesman the defence of their Spanish Super Cup crown against Athletic Bilbao connected Wednesday successful Saudi Arabia.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said that retaining the Spanish Super Cup this week would beryllium a boost for his team’s different ambitions this season.

The grounds 15-time champions look Athletic Bilbao connected Wednesday successful a semifinal clash astatine the King Abdullah Sports City stadium successful Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

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Barca won the contention past play arsenic the archetypal portion of a home treble, the archetypal triumph of Flick’s reign, followed by triumphs successful La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

“This tourney is simply a small spot antithetic [to the equivalent competition] successful Germany, but I similar it,” said erstwhile Bayern Munich manager Flick.

“For america to triumph the Super Cup [last season] gave america a batch of vigor for the remainder of the season, and this is besides what we privation this year.”

Even though important questions stay astir their defending, Barcelona are the favourites to triumph the Super Cup and pb La Liga aft 9 consecutive apical formation victories.

Despite being outplayed by neighbours Espanyol successful a tense derby clash connected Saturday, precocious goals and a sensational show from stopper Joan Garcia helped the Catalans assertion a 2-0 victory.

Flick insisted his squad had to execute amended astatine the backmost if they were to win successful the sixth variation of the tourney successful Saudi Arabia.

“It volition not beryllium an casual lucifer [if] we marque the aforesaid mistakes arsenic connected Saturday; it volition not beryllium easy, truthful we person to enactment connected our things,” continued Flick.

“We person to play overmuch amended successful the defence; we person to play connected arsenic 1 team, and this is what I missed connected Saturday, truthful we person to marque things overmuch better.”

Barcelona people Cancelo could beryllium connected the determination from Saudi Arabia

Central defender Ronald Araujo could instrumentality to enactment this week aft an extended intelligence wellness break.

The Uruguayan was granted permission for astir a period pursuing a reddish paper successful Barcelona’s 3-0 Champions League decision by Chelsea successful November.

“We volition spot this grooming [session] today, and I volition besides privation to talk with him, truthful we person not decided however to bash it tomorrow,” said Flick.

“I deliberation it takes time, truthful if helium feels acceptable for tomorrow, possibly we volition alteration something, but astatine the moment, it’s not our program to bash this.”

Flick confirmed that Barcelona were adjacent to signing Joao Cancelo from Al-Hilal, who is connected indebtedness until the extremity of the season, but the woody has not been completed.

“With Joao, possibly helium tin springiness america much options besides arsenic full-back, some sides successful the offence, bully quality, but [as acold as] I know, it’s not done,” said Flick.

Cancelo spent the 2023-24 play connected indebtedness astatine Barcelona from Manchester City.

Athletic, eighth successful La Liga, past won the Super Cup successful 2021, beating Barcelona successful the final, and person lifted the trophy connected 3 occasions.

Only the Catalans and Real Madrid, with 13 triumphs, person a amended record. On Thursday, Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid look metropolis rivals Atletico Madrid successful the different Super Cup semifinal.