FC Barcelona and Athletic Club face off this afternoon at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the first semifinal of the 2026 Spanish Super Cup. Both teams are fighting for a spot in the final as they pursue their first trophy of the season, and fans in the USA will have options to watch Barcelona vs Athletic Club.
Barcelona enter the match in spectacular form, sitting at the top of LaLiga with 49 points (16 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses). Hansi Flick’s squad is currently riding a hot streak of eight consecutive victories, most recently securing a 2-0 win over Espanyol in the Catalan derby.
In contrast, Athletic Club arrive in Jeddah struggling for consistency. Los Leones currently sit 8th in LaLiga with 24 points (7 wins, 3 draws, and 9 losses). They are coming off a 1-1 draw against Osasuna, with their most recent victory being a narrow, hard-fought win over third-division side Ourense in the Copa del Rey. Follow Barcelona vs Athletic Club live with us!
Barcelona lineup
Hansi Flick will be without Gavi and Andreas Christensen for this semifinal, as both players remain sidelined with long-term injuries. However, the Blaugrana are boosted by the return of Pedri and Fermin Lopez, who both gained rhythm with substitute appearances in the recent derby victory over Espanyol.
Pedri and Fermin Lopez of FC Barcelona on the bench against Espanyol. (Getty Images)
Barca head into this clash with notable absentees in their starting lineup though, with neither Lamine Yamal nor Robert Lewandowski starting against Athletic Club today. Flick decided to rest Yamal, whereas the Pole is also taking a back seat with Ferran Torres leading up front.
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Barcelona lineup vs Athletic Club today: Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie De Jong, Pedri; Raphinha, Fermin Lopez, Roony Bardghji; Ferran Torres.
Athletic Club lineup
Ernesto Valverde faces a significant defensive crisis heading into today’s clash. Key veterans Aymeric Laporte and Yuri Berchiche have failed to recover from their respective injuries and will not be available for the trip to Saudi Arabia.
They join a lengthy list of absentees, including long-term injured players Unai Egiluz, Beñat Prados, and Maroan Sannadi, as well as Yeray Alvarez, who is currently serving a suspension.
Athletic Club lineup vs Barca today: Unai Simon; Jesus Areso, Dani Vivian, Aitor Paredes, Adama Boiro; Mikel Jauregizar, Alejandro Rego; Alejandro Berenguer, Oihan Sancet, Robert Navarro; Iñaki Williams.
