Barcelona defeated Athletic Club 2-0 in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup, advancing to the final set on January 12th. Goals from Gabi and Lamine Yamal sealed Barcelona’s place in the match, which took place at the King Abdullah Sports City. In the final. However, pre-match headlines focused on the surprising decision to have Wojciech Szczesny start in goal instead of Iñaki Peña, who was originally scheduled to lead the defence.
Barcelona’s performance on the field was overwhelming. Gabi took the lead in the 17th minute, taking advantage of Balde’s cross. In the second half, Lamine Yamal extended the lead to two points with a shot from inside the penalty area in the 53rd minute. Athletic Bilbao tried to fight back by conceding two goals late in the game, but Barcelona defended tenaciously.
The win sets up the Blaugrana to face the winner of the semi-final between Real Madrid and Mallorca, which will determine their opponent for the coveted Super Cup title.
Before the match, Iñaki Peña was expected to start as Barcelona’s goalkeeper. The decision to replace him with Wojciech Szczesny raised eyebrows. The Polish keeper, who started Barcelona’s Copa del Rey match against Barbastro, has been called up again by coach Hansi Flick. The reason behind this sudden change was unclear during the build-up, leaving fans guessing about the situation.
The real reason: Punctuality is important.
As the game progressed, the mystery was solved. According to Co-op journalist Helena Condis, Iñaki Peña arrived late to the team’s activation session at the hotel before the match. Although the incident was minor, it was enough for Hansi Flick to take decisive action.
Peña did not oversleep, but reportedly miscalculated the session time. Coach Flick, known for his strict approach to discipline, chose to enforce his rules by demoting Peña to the bench.
Flick’s commitment to punctuality has been evident since his arrival at Barcelona. “If you arrive late, you can’t play,” Pedri once said, reflecting the manager’s serious attitude. Jules Kounde had already faced similar consequences for being late to a meeting earlier in the season, reinforcing the German coach’s commitment to maintaining discipline within his team.
This was Szczesny’s second appearance in Barcelona colors, following his Copa del Rey debut against Barbastro. Despite the unexpected circumstances, the Polish veteran proved his reliability by contributing to his team’s victory without conceding a goal.
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