Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of tonight's Copa del Rey final between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon in Madrid.
It is the end of an era for Barca as coach Pep Guardiola will leave the club following the conclusion of this match after what have been four highly successful years at the Nou Camp.
In Barca's way tonight are an Athletic Bilbao side who have impressed many this season with their exploits in Europe.
The two sides played out an entertaining 2-2 draw earlier in the season so let's hope for more of the same tonight...
Click here for team news from tonight's encounter.
These two sides hold the most triumphs in the competition between them, with Barca lifting the trophy 25 times while Bilbao have clinched the cup on 23 occasions.
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The players are now walking out to a fervent crowd in the capital. Kick off is just minutes away!
Having been through the clammy handshakes on a muggy night in Madrid, it will be Barcelona to get us underway...
1 min We almost have a goal inside the first minute! Lionel Messi makes a darting run at the Bilbao defence before he bends a shot just wide of the post.
2 min Barca come close again. They look very much in the mood tonight. Pedro meets the ball in the box only to see his effort deflected wide.
3 min GOAL! Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona - Pedro No messing from Pedro this time as he pounces in the box to bury the ball in the net following some indecisive defending from Bilbao. Game on!
4 min Bilbao don't look particularly shaken after that bad start and it is the Barca goalkeeper Pinto who is forced into a couple of errors.
6 min Pedro looks dangerous around the Bilbao area again. This time he scuffs his left-footed shot at Gorka Iraizoz.
8 min Guardiola is down on the touchline looking as calm as ever. His players look intent on delivering him a final trophy this evening.
10 min Messi had the Bilbao defence worried again there, but they were able to block his shot after another jinking run from the Argentinian.
13 min Despite a faint threat from Bilbao, it's all been Barca so far. A promising attack involving Pedro and Xavi ultimately comes to nothing.
15 min Close for Barca! Messi's effort from the edge of the area looks to be curling into the far corner, but Iraizoz manages to claw it away for a corner. Which Barca waste.
17 min Xavi looks to add to his tally of 14 for the season with a long-range drive. However, it flies narrowly over.
20 min GOAL! Bilbao 0-2 Barca - Messi The magician doubles his side's lead with a powerful finish on the angle after a cute pass from Iniesta. This could be a long night for Bilbao...
23 min Guardiola's side are doing what they do best here - keeping the ball and making the other team work their socks off to get it back. Bilbao desperately need to get their heads together and fast.
24 min GOAL! Bilbao 0-3 Barca - Pedro This is getting silly now. Pedro extends Barca's advantage with a delightful curled finish from 18 yards after a lay off from Xavi. Game over already?
25 min That said, Bilbao nearly pull a goal back, but Susaeta's stinging drive is punched away by an acrobatic Pinto.
27 min Big shouts from Bilbao for a penalty, but the referee waves away the appeals after Fernando Llorente is brought down by Pique. Replays show that there was contact between the players.
31 min Bilbao are now able to have a spell on the ball. This is as much possession as they've had in the opening 31 minutes.
33 min Barca are back on the attack as Xavi's volley from Adriano's cross flies straight at the keeper.
36 min Pique wins his side a corner after an incisive run, but the opportunity goes to waste.
39 min We have our first booking of the night and it goes to Susaeta after a poor lunge on Javier Mascherano.
40 min Now Barca are looking for a penalty after Alexis Sanchez is brought down in the box by Ekiza. Again the referee dismisses the appeals but only after he's had a good look at it.
42 min It's another yellow card for Bilbao as Iraola is booked after pulling down Sanchez.
43 min Oscar De Marcos is lucky not to go in the book for his challenge on Iniesta. Bilbao look like they're losing their cool here.
HALF-TIME: Athletic Bilbao 0-3 Barcelona
Barcelona look in complete control in this final as three goals have moved them out of sight of Bilbao. Marcelo Bielsa's side have threatened, but they're going to need to pull off the comeback of all comebacks to deny Barca the cup.
Click here for Sports Mole's half-time report of the match at the Vicente Calderon.
46 min And we're back underway in Madrid...
47 min Bilbao have started the second half positively as Llorente and Muniain both have their shots blocked.
51 min A great chance for Bilbao! Ibai is put through on goal, but his chip evades Pinto and goes wide of the post.
54 min I'm not sure what Bielsa said to his players during the interval as they seem fired up in this opening 10 minutes to the half. Despite the scoreline, their fans are the louder presence in the stands right now.
56 min That could have been game over. Sanchez just doesn't get enough on his header from Montoya's cross as the ball goes narrowly wide.
58 min Barca threaten again, but Montoya is unable to reach Pedro with the through ball.
61 min The crowd is expectant as Messi waits to whip a free kick into the area. However, the ball goes over all of his teammates and out for a goal kick.
64 min Chance for Bilbao! Llorente gets his head to the ball only for Pique to unknowingly deflect it away from goal.
66 min Xavi now goes into the book for a foul on Amorebieta.
68 min Muniain is able to shrug off the attention of a couple of Barca defenders, but his tame effort goes straight into Pinto's arms.
69 min This is certainly more of a contest now. Can Bilbao at least make it an interesting final 20 minutes with a goal?
71 min Close for Messi! The forward ghosts through the Bilbao defence before seeing his shot saved at the feet of Iraizoz. That could have been curtains for Bilbao.
72 min Interesting change for Bilbao. Llorente is taken off in place of Toquero. Nothing wrong with the fan favourite coming on, but an odd decision by Bielsa to take his main man off.
74 min Corner for Bilbao, but it's a terrible delivery and out for a throw-in.
76 min How has that not gone in?! Aurtenetxe meets a cross at the back post and can only nod wide from all of four yards. Bilbao won't get many better chances than that.
79 min A substitution for Barca now as Cesc Fabregas comes on to replace Xavi. The midfielder just took a knock but he doesn't look to be in too much discomfort.
83 min Barca very comfortable in possession as they know that they've got this match won. Bilbao are still harrying, but it now looks to be in vain.
86 min Pedro is denied his first hat-trick for Barca as he is taken off in place of Thiago. Despite a quiet second half, the forward did all the damage in the first with his smart brace.
89 min Thiago's first action of the match is to win his side a corner, but Bilbao clear.
90 min The fourth official signals two minutes of injury time...
FULL-TIME: Athletic Bilbao 0-3 Barcelona - BARCELONA WIN THE COPA DEL REY!
10:49pm There it is! The referee blows his whistle and marks the end of a glorious era for Pep Guardiola at Barcelona. The players are embracing each other in the centre circle as Guardiola says goodbye to his staff.
10:51pm Guardiola is going around his players now as Bilbao's fans shed tears in the stands. Their team weren't really at the races tonight, but Barcelona made it all the more difficult by being in scintillating form.
10:53pm Iker Muniain looks inconsolable as he is hugged by his Bilbao teammates. After what has been a real adventure for the team, it is a shame that they have to end the season on such a disappointing note.
10:55pm There's not a smile amongst the Bilbao players as they collect their runner-up medals from the assembled dignitaries...
10:58pm The Barcelona players now ascend the steps to pick up their medals. Well, they're not actually medals but miniature versions of the hefty trophy.
11pm And Xavi Hernandez lifts the famous trophy! It is the 26th time in the club's history that they have clinched the Copa del Rey. Guardiola is down on the pitch applauding his players on yet another triumph.
So, there it is. Pep Guardiola wins his 14th honour in a quite remarkable four years with Barcelona. However, you get the feeling that he could well turn up in a league near you soon. Many thanks for joining us this evening, we appreciate your company. Goodnight.
Jack Prescott
