Barcelona 2-3 Athletic Bilbao (after extra-time): 5 Talking Points as Blaugrana suffer defeat in the final | Supercopa de Espana 2020-21
A stunning strike three minutes into extra-time by Inaki Williams helped Athletic Bilbao beat Barcelona in the final of the 2020-21 Spanish Super Cup.
The big news in the buildup to the clash was the fitness of Lionel Messi, with the Rosario native missing the semi-final with a leg issue. However, the Barcelona captain was included in the Barcelona starting lineup for the final.
The first chance of the game fell to Athletic Bilbao, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen palming a long range effort from Andre Capa over the bar in the 26th minute.
However, Barcelona grew into the game and took the lead in the 40th minute. Antoine Griezmann was on hand to slot home after a Lionel Messi shot had rebounded off the woodwork, but Barcelona's lead was short-lived.
Just 93 seconds later, Bilbao equalised through Oscar di Marcos, with the 31-year-old displaying his predatory instinct to convert a lofted pass by Inaki Williams.
The Basque side soon had the ball in the back of the net again, but Raul Garcia's header rightly ruled out for offside after a VAR review.
In the final stages of the game, it was Athletic Bilbao who looked the more threatening, but Barcelona regained the lead against the run of play in the 77th minute.
Jordi Alba teed up Griezmann for the Frenchman to steer home. With less than 15 minutes to go, it looked like Barcelona had done enough to seal a record-extending 13th Spanish Super Cup triumph, but that was not to be.
On the stroke of full-time, Athletic Bilbao equalised once again, with Asier Vilalibre reacting the quickest to slot home a free-kick by Iker Munian.
That forced an extra 30 minutes, where Bilbao built on their momentum to take the lead through Inaki Williams. The 26-year-old picked up a pass from Munian and cut inside Oscar Mingueza before firing an unstoppable curler into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Barcelona struggled to create too many clear chances, with Antoine Griezmann shooting wide, before Lionel Messi was sent off late into extra-time after a VAR intervention.
It was Athletic Bilbao's second Super Copa and first major trophy since 2015. On that note, let us have a look at five talking points from the keenly-contested game.
#5 Antoine Griezmann's impressive performance for Barcelona counts for little
After an indifferent start to the campaign, Antoine Griezmann has got into form, putting out a fine display against Athletic Bilbao.
His brace in the fixture means he has now been directly involved in seven goals (four goals and three assists) in his last four games in all competitions. The Frenchman had failed to score or assist in his previous seven.
The 29-year-old had a game-high three shots on target, completed two dribbles and had a pass accuracy of 84.8% in one of his best displays for Barcelona this season.
However, it counted for little, as the Blaugrana fell to a defeat against an inspired Athletic Bilbao.
#4 Barcelona squander opportunity to end their trophy drought
Barcelona's staggeringly high standards over the last 15 years has meant that they have won trophies at an exceedingly consistent rate.
However, sub-par displays in recent times have seen the club struggle on the field, with Barcelona ending 2020 without a trophy, their first trophyless year since 2008.
Incredibly, the last time Barcelona won a major trophy was in May 2019 when they successfully defended their La Liga crown. Since then, they have faltered in seven competitions.
After seeing off Real Sociedad on penalties in the semi-final, this clash against another Basque side offered Barcelona an excellent opportunity to lift a trophy. They looked on course for the same until their late collapse.
Up next for Barcelona is a trip to Cornella in the Copa del Rey. The tournament represents the Blaugrana's best chance of winning a trophy this season, with La Liga and continental glory looking a long shot at the moment.