BARCELONA // Barcelona’s dream of matching their 2009 achievement and winning all six trophies available in a calendar year is over. The Catalans had already triumphed in the European Cup, Primera Liga, Copa del Rey and European Super Cup, but they could only draw 1-1 at home to Athletic Bilbao on Monday night in a heated, absorbing, encounter, losing the final 5-1 on aggregate after Friday’s 4-0 Spanish Super Cup first-leg defeat in Bilbao.
For the Basque side, four time finalists against Barca in cup competitions since their last silverware and finalists in the 2012 Europa League, it represents a first trophy in 31 years. They were outstanding at home in the first leg thanks to a Mikel San Jose goal from the halfway line and an Aritz Aduriz hat-trick.
Luis Enrique had understandably fielded a weaker Barca team given the first leg was just three nights after their extra-time European Super Cup triumph in Tbilisi, but ahead of the second leg, Luis Enrique pointed out that Barca had scored four goals or more on 18 occasions last season. The chance of a comeback remained slight.
Amid a superb atmosphere, the organised Athletic side were in no rush, taking their time from the start with every stoppage. It infuriated the huge home crowd, but only as Neymar’s theatrics in the Copa del Rey final had angered the Athletic players.
‘I don’t want to go but it is complicated’: Pedro opens up about leaving Barca for Man United
Barca were dominant in possession, as normal, but were caught offside four times before Pedro swung and missed a 28th-minute opportunity from the edge of the box. That summed up Barcelona’s first half. The Manchester United target, who Barca always wanted to keep for the three Super Cup matches, then lost possession six minutes before the break. The ball fell to Javier Eraso, who beat Javier Mascherano before shooting into the side netting rather than pass to Aduriz in the centre.
Barcelona got the breakthrough a minute before half time when Luis Suarez chested down an Ivan Rakitic cross. The ball fell to Lionel Messi, who also chested it before volleying past Gorka Iraizoz from close range, then kissing his club badge on his shirt. It was a lifeline which lifted the uncharacteristically noisy crowd further.
The noise level went even higher as the Basque goalkeeper smothered the ball inside his own goal, prompting indignation from the Barcelona players who thought he was time-wasting, of whom Pedro was booked. It was the normally placid forward’s third yellow card in three Super Cup games in six days.
Ernesto Valverde’s side continued to be booed as the first half ended promptly, but the crowd’s anger remained palpable at the start of the second period when Athletic looked livelier, twice testing Claudio Bravo.
Unable to get the breakthroughs, the home players became increasingly frustrated and Gerard Pique was sent off in the 55th minute for swearing at the linesman.
Aduriz and Benat were booked for the visitors as the game became increasingly heated. Pedro was substituted after 67 minutes, kicking a water bottle and then his boots off as he returned to the bench. There was no fairytale ending to this final for him, as in Georgia six days previous.
If he were distracted, it is understandable — his transfer to Manchester United has not been concluded, though United’s Ed Woodward was in Barcelona for talks ahead of the Super Cup. United have offered €25 million (Dh101.6m) for Pedro, still short of Barca’s €30m buyout clause.
As the clocked ticked down, Aduriz equalised in the 75th minute with a simple tap-in, though Athletic were reduced to 10 men when substitute Kike Sola was sent off seven minutes after entering the pitch for standing on Mascherano. It mattered little, for Athletic were soon celebrating with the cup, the first trophy for Valverde, and being applauded by the home players and fans.
“The first half was very hard because they are very good and pressed a lot,” Valverde said. “In the second half we were good and we reached our objective. From the outside you might think we didn’t feel it too badly but yes, when they scored, we were shaken.
“We’ve finally achieved the trophy that these people deserve.”
“We gave it everything we had and never stopped fighting. The players deserve this and so do the fans. This was a long time coming but the most important value in our team is solidarity. That’s the important thing. We are a team, we are Athletic.”
“You need to know how to win and how to lose,” Luis Enrique said. “Sometimes it’s good to lose to realise how difficult and how nice it is to win. I offer congratulations to Athletic; they deserved to win the tie. My team did well, but the game ended at the moment of the red card.”
Barca’s next game? They play Athletic Bilbao yet again, in the season-opener in Bilbao on Sunday.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @NatSportUAE