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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.
#3 Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman faces the heat once again
Barcelona came into this clash on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions, helping ease some of the pressure on Ronald Koeman.
The former Everton manager has looked out of depth at Camp Nou, with on-field results failing to match expectations, while he has hardly been helped by off-field issues too.
Nevertheless, a win against Athletic Bilbao would have provided Koeman some reprieve with his first trophy at the beleaguered club. However, that failed to happen, and the Barcelona manager could face the heat.
The manner in which the defeat came is also sure to see questions being raised about Koeman's pedigree. It is looking increasingly likely that Ronald Koeman may not last as Barcelona manager beyond the end of the season.
#2 Impressive Athletic Bilbao prove good value for their win against Barcelona
Athletic Bilbao's indifferent start to the campaign saw them part ways with Gaizko Garitano in December, with Marcelino appointed in his place.
The former Valencia manager faced Barcelona in his first game in charge, where Los Leones endured a narrow 2-3 defeat. Athletic Bilbao have, however, built on from there, and their victory over Real Madrid in the semi-final was indicative of the progress made by the side in a short while.
Against Barcelona, the San Mames outfit brought their A-game to the fore and maintained optimum concentration for the full 120 minutes. Bilbao expectedly had less of the ball, but made every moment on the ball count, fashioning more chances in the game than Barcelona.
They registered 12 shots to Barcelona's ten, five corner kicks to the Blaugrana's three and 22 crosses in the box compared to 18 from the Catalan club.
Despite going behind twice, Athletic Bilbao did not lose their confidence and showed great determination to come from behind on each occasion. On the overall balance of play, Athletic Bilbao were good value for their win and will now hope to build momentum in their domestic campaign.
#1 Lionel Messi caps off an underwhelming display with a send-off
Lionel Messi was fit to participate in the final against Athletic Bilbao after not playing the semi-final. However, the Barcelona captain struggled to express himself in the game for two hours.
In an uncharacteristically off-colour display, Messi failed to register a shot on target from three attempts, while he also did not make a key pass to a teammate.
With time running out and Barcelona staring at a defeat, their number 10 was powerless to do anything, Perhaps this feeling of frustration got the better of him in the final minute of extra-time.
After passing the ball to a teammate, the 33-year-old inexplicably took a swing at Asier Vilalibre with his elbow when the Athletic Bilbao man ran past him.
VAR came to the fore after the referee missed the off-the-ball incident, with Lionel Messi getting dismissed with a straight red card for violent conduct for only the second time in his illustrious career.
It was, however, his first in a Barcelona shirt, coming in his 753rd appearance for the Blaugrana in all competitions. After winning a race against time to be fit for the final against Athletic Bilbao, it ended up as a game for Messi to forget.
