The stage is set for a fiery Spanish Super Cup semifinal clash as defending champions FC Barcelona lock horns with historic rivals Athletic Club this Wednesday. The high-stakes encounter will be played on neutral ground at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Match Details and Where to Watch
The semifinal is scheduled for Wednesday, January 7, 2026. For fans in India, the action kicks off at 12:30 AM IST on Thursday (January 8). Viewers in the United States can tune in at 2:00 PM ET.
Indian football enthusiasts can catch all the live action exclusively on the FanCode app. In the US, the match will be broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and streaming service fuboTV.
Team News and Confirmed Lineups
Barcelona enters the tournament in scintillating form, riding a strong winning streak. However, they have significant injury concerns. Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, along with midfield dynamo Gavi and defenders Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo, are confirmed absentees. Despite this, the squad remains formidable, coming off a convincing win over Espanyol. Key attackers Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal are expected to start from the bench.
Athletic Club, managed by former Barça coach Ernesto Valverde, faces a deeper injury crisis. Defenders Yeray Alvarez, Aymeric Laporte, Yuri Berchiche, and Unai Eguiluz are out, alongside midfielders Maroan Sannadi and Benat Prados. The Basque side will heavily rely on the pace of the Williams brothers, Iñaki and Nico, and the creativity of Oihan Sancet to challenge the favourites.
The confirmed starting lineups are as follows:
Barcelona: Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie de Jong, Pedri; R.Bardghji, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha; Ferran Torres.
Athletic Club: Unai Simon; Adama Boiro, Aitor Paredes, Andoni Gorosabel, Daniel Vivian, Jesus Areso; Rego, Mikel Jauregizar; Robert Navvaro, Oihan Sancet, Alex Berengeur; Inaki Williams.
AI Predictions and Historical Context
Artificial intelligence models are largely backing the Catalan giants to progress. Grok predicts a 3-1 victory for Barcelona, citing their attacking firepower led by Lewandowski, Yamal, and Raphinha as likely to overwhelm Athletic's depleted defense. ChatGPT also favours Barcelona but foresees a tighter contest, predicting a 3-2 win for the Blaugrana, acknowledging the threat posed by Athletic's counter-attack.
The historical head-to-head record heavily favours Barcelona. In their long rivalry, Barcelona has won 126 matches, compared to Athletic Club's 81 victories. A further 40 games have ended in a draw.
This semifinal promises to be a compelling mix of Barcelona's quest to defend their title and Athletic Club's ambition to cause a major upset. All eyes will be on Jeddah to see if form and history hold, or if the underdogs can script a memorable victory.
