Lamine Yamal to lead charge as Barcelona start Spanish Super Cup defence against Athletic Club in Jeddah

Catalan giants thrashed rivals Real Madrid to lift crown 12 months ago

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has nine goals and 11 assists to his name so far this season. EPA

The Spanish Super Cup returns to Saudi Arabia this week with Barcelona looking to retain the crown they won in spectacular fashion 12 months ago.

Last season, Hansi Flick's side inflicted a brutal 5-2 beating on Real Madrid in the Jeddah final, securing the German's first trophy as Barca manager and a record-extending 15th Super Cup for the club.

Barcelona would also go on to wrestle the La Liga title from Real and are currently four points clear of their fierce rivals halfway through the current campaign.

On Saturday, Barca came out on top in the Catalan derby with Espanyol, although they needed two late goals from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski to secure three points.

That 2-0 victory at the RCDE Stadium was Barca's ninth in a row, equalling Flick's best run in La Liga achieved between January and March 2025.

But Flick admitted his team had goalkeeper Joan Garcia to thank after an “unbelievable” performance against his former club. “We didn’t deserve it, I will be honest,” said the former Bayern Munich coach.

“I have to say thank you to Joan Garcia because he played unbelievable. He’s one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

“He’s been fantastic. He’ll never forget what he experienced here. Now he’s with us and he’s had an incredible performance."

Focus now shifts to the Super Cup and a clash with Athletic Club at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Wednesday (11pm kick-off UAE), in a repeat of last year's semi-final that saw Barca come out on top 2-0, thanks to goals from Gavi and Lamine Yamal.

Teenage winger Yamal goes into the match having just been named the best forward at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, as well as winning the Maradona award which recognises “exceptional football talent”.

The 18-year-old notched 18 goals and 25 assists last season and has nine goals and 11 assists to his name so far this campaign.

He also finished 2025 as the best dribbler in Europe's top five leagues – Spain, England, Italy, Germany and France.

Yamal completed 285 successful dribbles over 12 months, almost double that of the next best in Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku (155) with Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe third (144).

Yamal's tally is Barca's highest since Lionel Messi recorded 297 successful dribbles back in 2015.

“Now I feel the pressure of being an important player for my club but everything has turned out well. I want to continue on the same path and I don't want comparisons,” insisted Yamal at last week's awards ceremony in Dubai.

But it is not just Yamal's attacking skills that have delighted his manager this season. “We always talk about players in both attacking and defensive roles,” said Flick last month.

“He’s improved a lot defensively, but also offensively; the level he’s showing is fantastic, I love watching him, and he’s a player who always wants to improve.

“Sometimes it’s not easy, there are many players in La Liga who like these one-on-one situations, but in Lamine’s case, he’s fouled 90 per cent of the time but keeps going.

“You have to know how to make the right decisions, have confidence in yourself, and be able to contribute.”

Copa del Rey holders Athletic, meanwhile, head into the game on the back of 1-1 draw at Osasuna which leaves Ernesto Valverde's men eighth in the table, 25 points behind Barca.

“Nothing is set in stone,” Valverde insisted ahead of taking on his former club. “We're not the favourites, but we still have to go out there and play, everything is up for grabs. We're going to try to make the most of every opportunity.”

Valverde led Barcelona to two successive La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and one Spanish Super Cup during his spell as manager between 2017 and 2020.

He was sacked after a 3–2 Super Cup semi-final defeat to Atletico Madrid – with his team having been in front with nine minutes left – with the club top of La Liga on goal difference and set to take on Napoli in the Uefa Champions League last-16.

But it was Barca's failures in Europe's premier club competition that would haunt Valverde's reign.

In 2018, they lost in the quarter-finals to Roma on away goals, despite winning the first leg 4-1 at the Nou Camp. Worse was to come in 2019 when, after beating Liverpool 3-0 at home in the semi-final first leg, Barca famously capitulated 4-0 at Anfield.

The other Super Cup semi-final sees Real Madrid take on city rivals Atletico in the kingdom on Thursday.