RIYADH: Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved twice from the spot to help Barcelona beat Real Betis 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw on Thursday, setting up a Clasico Spanish Super Cup final.
The Catalans will face their bitter rivals Real Madrid on Sunday after Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat Valencia on penalties on Wednesday.
Barcelona needed spot-kicks to see off Betis after an entertaining draw over 120 minutes at Riyadh’s King Fahd Stadium.
Robert Lewandowski put Barcelona ahead after 40 minutes but Betis playmaker Nabil Fekir levelled with 13 minutes remaining.
Ansu Fati smashed in a fine volley to put Barcelona ahead in extra-time but Loren Moron pulled Betis back level with a cunning backheel flick.
Ter Stegen denied Juanmi and William Carvalho in the shootout and Pedri converted the decisive spot-kick.
“(The final) will be a very nice game, everyone wants to see these type of games and we’ll be delighted to play it and win it,” Ter Stegen told Movistar.
The goalkeeper made some fine saves even before the shootout, where he was key.
“I would like to have less work in games,” Ter Stegen added, acknowledging that he was back to his best.
“For a year I’ve been at a very good level personally, physically, it’s the work too — every day I have a spectacular team that helps me improve and think about how to get better.”
Barcelona have not won the Spanish Super Cup since the change to a four-team format, with the first Saudi Arabia edition taking place in 2020.
After finishing last season without a single trophy and investing heavily in the summer despite the club’s debts, Xavi and his team are desperate for silverware.
Although winning the Super Cup will not be enough in itself, it would be a step in the right direction and Xavi’s first trophy since arriving in November 2021.
Pedri had an early strike disallowed for offside as the Catalans started well, but Betis soon found their comfort zone, inspired by the artistry of Fekir and dynamism of Luiz Henrique.
However, Lewandowski, who missed the win over Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday through suspension and was far from his best, broke the deadlock shortly before the break.
The Polish forward’s first effort was blocked but he brought the ball under control again and managed to beat Claudio Bravo at the near post.Ter Stegen made saves from Rodri and Henrique to keep Barcelona ahead, on a busy night for the German goalkeeper — just as it had been for his Madrid counterpart Thibaut Courtois the night before.
Fekir eventually levelled in the 77th minute after clever footwork from Henrique, who set him up, and the French midfielder drilled past Ter Stegen at his near post to force extra-time.
Three minutes into the additional period, Fati produced a piece of magic to put Barcelona back in front with a volley from the edge of the box.
It didn’t last long, with Betis striking through Moron’s clever effort, backheeled past Ter Stegen despite close attention from Ronald Araujo.
Fati tried to reply with a backheel of his own but former Barcelona stopper Bravo was alert to deny him.
Veteran Betis midfielder Andres Guardardo was sent off late in extra-time for two yellow cards, but Barcelona did not have long enough to capitalize before penalties.
Both sides converted their first two spot-kicks but Ter Stegen denied Juanmi to hand the Catalans the advantage.
Fati scored and Ter Stegen produced another save to foil Carvalho, with Pedri converting the next spot-kick to seal Barcelona’s progress.
“Betis fans should be proud of the team’s performance,” said defender Miranda, playing in the stead of Alex Moreno, who signed for Aston Villa this week.
“We are, with the fight that we showed. We have a lot to learn and I hope we can be here again many more times.”
Barca beat Betis on penalties, reach Clasico Super Cup final
https://arab.news/wt48g
Barca beat Betis on penalties, reach Clasico Super Cup final
- The Catalans will face their bitter rivals Real Madrid on Sunday after Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat Valencia on penalties on Wednesday
Footballco launches new Riyadh studio to boost creator-led content boom
- Football media company’s venture caters for its Arabic video-first brands
- Footballco also plans to create in-studio formats for its fan-driven series, Yalla Fans, previously shot on location at football stadiums
RIYADH: Football media and culture company Footballco have opened a new production studio in Riyadh.
The move allows it to boost the volume of in-studio content created for its leading Arabic video-first football brands — Yalla Goal, Yalla Fans and Yalla Girl, as well as branded content for commercial partners.
The new studio complements Footballco’s Riyadh office, which opened in December 2024 as its Middle East headquarters. Footballco’s move to the city was driven by a desire to better serve clients in Saudi Arabia and to bring it closer to the country’s burgeoning football industry. The company now has 20 full-time staff in the Kingdom.
Footballco currently operates three video-first Arabic-language football brands in the region, all targeting Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha fans and fronted by experienced content creators. Yalla Goal combines spirited discussions, bold challenges and fun games, while Yalla Girl celebrates the growth of women’s football in Saudi Arabia and the region, with a focus on talent, personality, laughter and friendship. Footballco also plans to create in-studio formats for its fan-driven series, Yalla Fans, previously shot on location at football stadiums.
The company’s decision to invest in creator-led, in-studio video formats is backed by its own research which found that, for young fans, brand partnerships with creators are seen as more valuable than official tournament partnerships.
Footballco’s new studio will increase the frequency of video content created for its channels, supported by two full-time hosts for Yalla Goal — Mohammed Bargat and Waleed Al-Shargi (better known as Shargi), who have a combined following of over 900,000 on their personal channels.
Andy Jackson, Footballco’s Middle East senior vice president, said: “With seven national teams from the region set to appear at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, eight if Iraq qualify through the play-offs, these new facilities and increasing video output sets our brands up for success at a time where we know there will be an unprecedented demand for fun, creator-led video content.
“We’re also excited to welcome both Bargat and Shargi to the team, with both having more than proved themselves as understanding how to create content that resonates with young fans and they are already familiar to our audiences.”
He added: “In December, our Arabic social channels generated over 1.7 billion video views, so we are building from an incredibly strong base to further cement our position as the clear market leader both in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Our creator-led video formats have proved incredibly popular with brands, and this investment will see us able to offer a broader range of opportunities to our many commercial partners.”
While the World Cup this summer will see Footballco’s new studio in constant use, the company is also readying a slate of programming across Ramadan, with a 30-show spread culminating in an Eid special.
Taha Imani, Footballco’s head of video and social in the Middle East and North Africa region, said: “With YouTube becoming the number one place for fans to enjoy longform and short-form football content, and based on success across Footballco brands such as The Front Three in other markets, we’re expecting to grow at speed as we approach the World Cup giving fans exactly what they want from us on a daily basis.”
