Athletic Bilbao will have its second chance at a Copa del Rey in two weeks, but Saturday’s final against a trophy-starved Barcelona will prove to be a tough task.
The Basque side lost 1–0 to regional rival Real Sociedad in the 2020 Copa del Rey final, which was played April 3 after it was postponed by the pandemic. Athletic has lost its last five Copa del Rey final appearances with its last victory coming in 1984 against Barcelona.
Having already exited Champions League at the hands of PSG, Barcelona’s chances at a major trophy this season took a hit after losing to Real Madrid in El Clásico last weekend, which dropped the club into third place in a packed La Liga title race.
How to Watch:
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV Channel: None in the USA
Live Stream: You can stream the match on ESPN+.
Lineups:
Athletic Bilbao XI: Simon; Balenziaga, Martinez, Yeray, De Marcos; Muniain, Lopez, Garcia, Berenguer, Garcia; Williams.
Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen; Dest, Mingueza, Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Busquets, De Jon, Pedri; Griezmann, Messi.
Two points behind Atlético Madrid and one back of Real Madrid in La Liga, Barcelona risks going trophy-less for a second straight season if it loses Saturday in Sevilla. Meanwhile, Bilbao enters the final winless in its last six matches in all competitions.
Barcelona and Athletic Club met three times in January, including Bilbao’s memorable Supercopa win that saw Lionel Messi earn his first-ever red card at Barcelona for violent conduct. No Spanish club has won more Copa del Rey titles than Barcelona (30) and Athletic Bilbao (23).
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