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Valverde Urges Athletic Bilbao to Learn from Espanyol’s Mistakes to Beat Barcelona

Athletic Bilbao Coach Ernesto Valverde

Manager Ernesto Valverde has outlined what Athletic Bilbao must do to beat Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final on Wednesday night.

He admitted his team were the underdogs, but claimed they had an opportunity to pull off an upset.

Ernesto Valverde Urges Athletic Bilbao to Be Clinical Against Barcelona

Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona will compete in the first semi-final of the Supercopa de Espana. Hansi Flick’s Barca are the outright favourites, owing to their excellent form this season and the quality of players at their disposal.

Ahead of the match, Ernesto Valverde admitted there was an obvious difference between the two teams but did not throw in the towel.

“They are first, and we are not as brilliant as we were last year,” said the former Barcelona coach.

“You have to play two matches, and in 90 minutes, many things can happen. We are not the favourite, but we have this opportunity and our intention is to take advantage of it.”

Valverde Asks Athletic to Avoid Espanyol’s Mistakes

Valverde then referred to Barcelona’s 2-0 derby win over Espanyol to show it was possible to compete against them.

Espanyol registered seven shots on target and created three big chances against Barcelona. However, between their poor finishing and Joan Garcia’s excellent goalkeeping, the hosts could not score.

Dani Olmo (86′) and Robert Lewandowski (90′) scored two late goals to secure a 2-0 win

He insisted Athletic Bilbao must ensure they are clinical in front of Joan Garcia’s goal. Valverde insisted his team would need a “big dose of accuracy” to trouble the favourites.

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao Head-to-Head Record

Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao have faced each other 245 times in all competitions over the years. The Blaugrana have been the more dominant unit, having claimed 125 wins out of 245. Athletic Bilbao have won 80 matches, while 40 games have ended in a draw.

Athletic Bilbao have not beaten Barcelona in their last five meetings, losing the last four and drawing one. Across their last three meetings, Barca scored nine goals without conceding.

Athletic Bilbao’s last victory over Barcelona came in January 2024. They beat the heavyweights 4-2 after added time in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

Barcelona are currently on an eight-game winning run in all competitions. Ernesto Valverde’s side have only won one of their last five matches (D 2, L 2).

Despite being only a three-game tournament, the Spanish Supercup offers handsome prize money. Being the two biggest teams in Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid stand a chance to pocket over €8 million for winning the competition.

The winner of the first semi-final will meet either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final on Sunday.

Related TopicsAthletic Bilbao Barcelona Supercopa de Espana

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