FCBARCELONA.CAT

01.06.2009 18:53

Old rivals in Super Cups

Edgar Fornós

Bilbao and Sakhtar Donestk, Barcelona’s rivals in the Spanish and European Super Cups, have already gone head-to-head with the Catalans this season.

UEFA Cup holders Shakhtar and Spanish Cup runners-up Bilbao will be Barça first competitive rivals next season. The Catalans will visit San Mamés on 16 August for the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup with the return leg on the 23rd at Camp Nou. Ten days later Barça take on Shakhtar in the Louis XVI stadium in Monaco in the European Super Cup final.

Tough Champions League rivals

Barcelona played Shakhtar in the Champions League group stages. In Donetsk, the Catalans won 1-2 after coming from behind, with Messi scoring twice. In the last group C game with Barça already through, they lost 2-3 as Shakhtar clinched a place in the UEFA Cup which they would later on win.

Three out of three against the Basques

The Catalans have beaten the Basques all three times this season. At San Mamés Barça took all three points with a Samuel Eto'o goal and at Camp Nou Sergio Busquets and Messi found the net in a 2-0 win. The last clash was on 13 May at Mestalla in the Spanish Cup Final. After Toquero took the lead, Barça came from behind to win 1-4 with goals by Touré, Messi, Bojan and Xavi from a free-kick.