Victim of its vulnerability, Barça delivered its second title in ten days. As a consequence of their defensive errors and their lack of concentration, the Blaugrana team also missed the Cup. They did so to the limit and in an unleashed Cathedral. On top of that, he bit the dust because of a regular executioner like Iñaki Williams, who arrived in Bilbao this Wednesday from the Africa Cup to tip the balance in the added time of the first half of extra time. His brother Nico put the icing on the cake with the room.
Far from the lead in the League and pending the Champions League, Barcelona is looking forward to a tough blank season.
The Barcelona fans could have won if Lamine Yamal, who scored a great goal, had made the two precious chances he missed in the second half of the game, but it would be unfair to blame him. Because he was one of the best on the team along with young people like Héctor Fort and Cubarsí. Much better than more seasoned people like Gündogan, Pedri, Koundé, Ferran Torres or De Jong. As in 2020 and 2022, San Mamés knocked down Barça.
Even the last of the fans knew that Athletic would enter the fray with a taser in hand ready to carry out the necessary electric shocks. With an enraged Cathedral, and the surrounding area collapsed hours before the match, Valverde's footballers came out to eat Barça in one bite almost before the match table was set. Because everyone was aware of the volts that Athletic was going to apply...except Xavi's. Again, as in Granada or against Alavés, the Blaugrana team had already collected a ball from their goal before the first minute. Specifically at 36 seconds, which was the time it took Guruzeta to open the scoring to the delight of a San Mamés in boiling mode. It was after a new Barcelona nonsense. Lamine Yamal did not understand Koundé when the ball was released and the ball fell at the feet of Nico Williams, who crossed. From there a “pinball” game. Sancet combed the ball, Ares crossed it, Sancet hit again and in the end Guruzeta holed out, amid the rebounds.
“I can't believe it,” Xavi muttered under his breath. The coach had determined a single change with respect to Villamarín, Christensen for Pau Cubarsí. But once again Barça was losing. There was no order or concert and Athletic's intensity was devouring a tiny Barcelona, which was crying out for a change of script.
This would come later. Before, the Barcelona team tried to calm down by kneading the ball. But, to make matters worse, Balde was admitted to the infirmary for the umpteenth muscle injury in the squad and Xavi was forced to look at the bench. He opted for Héctor Fort as left back. The boy appeared with enormous enthusiasm, concentration and judgment, without being overwhelmed by an atmosphere that suffered a short circuit when the score was leveled.
It was a stroke of fortune. After an irruption by Ferran Torres and a service that Pedri could not control, the ball fell at Yuri's feet. The defender accidentally cleared the ball and Lewandowski, just in case, put his foot down. Result, goal from the Pole.
The tie was a blessing for Barça, who took advantage of Athletic's momentary confusion to hit again. If 1-1 came with luck, 1-2 came with power and quality. All virtues of Lamine Yamal. The teenager remembered there the Messi of a lifetime when he crowned an individual action in which he started from the right to center his position and nail a cross shot from the front. The game turned around in five minutes, but there was a lot of fabric left to cut.
At the resumption of the passage through the locker room, Xavi's team returned fatally. And he cannot defend himself with his eyes. This is what Koundé did, letting Nico Williams center alone, and what De Jong did, with Sancet gaining the position to score with a header at will. Iñaki Peña also got stuck in the lime. A defensive calamity, which caused a new surge for Athletic, which became even more emboldened with the entry of Iñaki Williams. The Biscayans prowled the area of a buttery Barça and yet the one who had the two best chances was Lamine Yamal. In the first, on a counterattack, Lewandowski left him alone against Agirrezabala but the winger sent him out.
The game swung like a shaker. Araújo seemed to be injured but the one who left was a limping Christensen so that another child could play: Cubarsi. Nico Williams was close to 3-2 and Xavi responded by bringing in João Félix for Lewandowski.
There could be an extension. Or not. Because Athletic was hugging and because Lamine Yamal missed another goal, into an empty net, after going around the goalkeeper, in this case with his right foot. Incredible. That's where Barça had the game, which led to extra time.
In extra time Iñaki Williams decided after a body that Sergi Roberto lost at the beginning of the action. It could have been a foul. Then the fourth would arrive. The waste of young people was not enough. There was a lack of hierarchy.
