The first domestic title of the season is up for grabs as Athletic, Mallorca, Real Madrid and Barça head to Jeddah for the Super Cup.
The FC Barcelona dressing room was completely dejected after Saturday's home match against Atlético Madrid. The players struggled to cope with the nature of the last-minute defeat and even the words of coach Hansi Flick, who congratulated the team for their efforts, dedication and sacrifice, did not provide any consolation.
On Saturday at Montjuic, Barca were impressive indeed and the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for a side that created plenty of chances but was hit with a sucker punch in extra time when Sorloth struck for Atleti.
Sporting director Deco also visited the dressing room and agreed with Flick that the team had played well and that this is the way forward.
Some players were particularly despondent after the defeat, especially Raphinha, who blamed himself for the result despite a fine performance for the Catalan side. He was angry at having missed a series of chances and having to concede possession in the move that led to the last-minute counter-attack.
The Barça team turns the page
Fortunately for Barça, many members of the first team are keen to move on to the next challenge as quickly as possible and have now set their sights on the Spanish Super Cup. This is the case of Gavi who stated that “we have the first title of the season on our doorstep and we are confident of our chances. That's why I ask the fans to trust us now more than ever.”
AS has also been told by a Barca insider that the players have identified the Spanish Super Cup as a priority target. So much so that one heavyweight within the group claimed: “We are going to rest, recover well and prepare to start the year all over again, as if nothing happened. The first title of the season is just around the corner and we have to win it; We owe that to the manager.” The club also believes that the Super Cup, despite being a minor title and with no prize bonus stipulated in the player's contracts, could be an important turning point in the season: a victory would be the first title of the Being Flick era and leaving almost nothing behind. two years of Barça drought.
The Catalan side will face Athletic Club on January 8, four days after their first match of 2025, when they return to UD Barbastro to face the 2A RFEF side again (they defeated the Aragones team last season 2- 3).
Lamine Yamal is keen to win his first title in a Barcelona jersey, with the club hoping he can travel to Saudi Arabia, assuming he is match fit after recovering from his ankle injury.
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