JEDDAH: Fermin Lopez scored one goal and laid on two more as Barcelona tore through Athletic Bilbao to record a 5-0 victory in their Spanish Super Cup semi-final played in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, extending the Catalans winning run to nine matches.

Raphinha scored twice while Ferran Torres and Roony Bardghji were also on target in a dominant display as Barcelona led 4-0 at halftime and now await the winner of the second semi-final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Hansi Flick began with teenage star Lamine Yamal on the bench but his team was still able to ease to a comfortable victory at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium.

The La Liga leaders have now won nine matches in a row across all competitions and Athletic, enduring a difficult season, were ripped to shreds.

Last season Barca went on to win La Liga and the Copa del Rey after Flick’s side won the Spanish Super Cup for the first trophy of the German’s reign and the coach had said he wanted to use the competition as a springboard for more success again.

“It’s us who make games easy or hard — when we’re playing well, doing things right, defending well, attacking well, the game is easier,” Raphinha told Movistar.

Barca were ahead in the 22nd minute through Torres, taking an awkward pass that appeared to be a shot gone wrong from Fermin, and his fine first touch allowed him to fire into the back of the net from seven yards.

It was 2-0 on the half-hour mark when Raphinha reached the byline and his low cross to the middle of the penalty box was brilliantly turned into the net by Fermin.

Fermin then made it a hat-trick of goal contributions when he turned provider again for Bardghji on 34 minutes, though it was a simple pass into the latter, who twisted and turned in the box before firing low into the net.

Barca were rampant at this stage and they added a fourth through Raphinha when he burst into the box and blasted into the roof of the net.

The Brazilian netted his second on 52 minutes as Bilbao failed to clear a ball into the penalty area, and Raphinha fired home a left-footed shot.

“We have to say sorry to the fans who came here, we were not up to the level today, there’s nothing else we can do than say sorry,” said Athletic captain Inaki Williams.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2026