The Barça de Xavi arrives tonight at San Mamés (9:30 p.m., Tele 5) in a meeting in which Half measures are not worth it (follow the match live on AS.com). A classic butler will be played against Athletic Club in which one of the two teams will have to leave the rival by the wayside. And here there will be no excuses that appeal to sweet defeats as in the Super Cup last week in Arabia, when from the side azulgrana taking Real Madrid to extra time was considered a success.
The match is the repetition from last cup final, which marked the high point of Ronald Koeman’s stage at the helm of the team. After that 4-0 win at La Cartuja, the team left decomposing and the Dutch coach losing the scarce favor (if you ever had one) Laporta, who that day in Seville won his first title in his second stage as president and was very cold with the coach.
Both teams they date after contest the Super Cup from Spain in Arabia sharing a bittersweet taste. Barcelona fell in extra time against Real Madrid the day recovered to a series of forces such as Pedri o Ansu, who proved to be ready to help the cause, but as it happened to Ferran Torres, that debuted in the semifinal, they still need shooting. For his part, the Athletic beat Atlético de Madrid in a stupendous semi-final and against Real Madrid he had no choice. Both teams, in short, have reason to console or mourn. What they won’t have tonight is no exit through the cat flap. One of the two kings of the Cup is going to stay on the road tonight.
The swell at Barça is the noise in the lead, where he Dembele case continues to spark debate. His situation is already becoming untenable and his announcement for Bilbao It depends of how the negotiations to renew your contract.
The Ansu’s return and the presence of Ferran Torres they mediate this circumstance, but Xavi continues without being able to count on Luuk de Jong, the unexpected hero of Barça in the last matches, who follows sanctioned while Memphis did not practice yesterday.
At Athletic, Marcelino has in attack the Williams duo in great form and only the fatigue of having played one more game than Barça in the Super Cup and his return later can weigh. But San Mamés will not fail to the appointment and it will suppose, as always, a more than demanding test for a Barça to which already they are not worth more moral triumphs.