With a comeback required after conceding a first half penalty and having to get through more than half the game with a player less, Barça Femeni are through to the Super Cup final. The women's team beat Athletic Club 3–1 in a long, demanding semi-final that tested their resilience to the utmost.

If having to fight back from a 22nd minute penalty wasn't hard enough already, going down to ten following Kika’s red card just before the break made things harder still. But Barça showed maturity at the Estadio de Castalia, and managed to get through one of the toughest challenges they've had to face this season.

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Athletic's penalty was converted by Nevado after Mapi León brought the same player down. Barça fought hard to get back into the game, and things really started happening as half-time approached. The equaliser finally came when Alexia hit the post and Ona Batlle finished the rebound to level the score. And after Irene Paredes turned in a loose ball from a corner to complete the comeback, it looked like it might be plain sailing from then on.

But it was anything but. Just before the interval, Kika was sent off after a VAR review, forcing Barça to play the entire second half with ten. Pere Romeu kept his side organised and thus limited Athletic’s chances and gradually the blaugranes started to push forward again.

The decisive moment came on 67 minutes, when Ewa Pajor finished a move she started herself, combining with Ona Batlle to make it 3–1. From there, Barça managed the game calmly to seal their place in the final.

This Saturday, they face Real Madrid in a new Clásico, with another Super Cup title on the line.

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    MATCH STATS

    Barça: 3
    Athletic Club: 1

    Barça: Cata Coll; Ona Batlle, Paredes, Mapi León, Brugts (Aicha 72'); Serrajordi (Patri 58'), Kika, Alexia; Vicky (Graham 58'), Pajor (Paralluelo 72') & Pina(Schertenleib 82').

    Athletic Club: Santana; Elexpuru, Landaluze, Torre (Campos 78'), Nevado; Vilariño (Ortega 62'), Valero (Baños 86'), Zubieta, Agote (Aguirregomezcorta 86'); Gurtubay (Pinedo 78') & Azkona.

    Goals: 0-1, Nerea Nevado, pen (min. 25); 1-1, Ona Batlle (min. 35); 2-1, Irene Paredes (min. 39); 3-1, Ewa Pajor (min. 68)

    Referee: Elisabeth Calvo. Red card for Kika (Barça).

    Força Barça