22:48. What an absolute pleasure that was. Barcelona were at their scintillating best, yet again. The whole team were fantastic, but Lionel Messi was the conductor of another magical performance overall - instigating almost every opportunity and playing such a great role in all of his side's goals. The Blaugrana will certainly be favourites to add a third major trophy in Berlin in the Champions League final next weekend. We'll have plenty of coverage in the build-up to that game, so make sure to return to VAVEL UK before next Saturday. Until then, I've been Charlie Malam - thanks for joining me and I hope you enjoyed our live match coverage of what was a magnificent occasion. Thanks, and good night.
22:45. So, another memorable night for FC Barcelona tonight. Having won their 23rd La Liga title last weekend, they wrapped up their 27th Copa del Rey in style at Camp Nou tonight. Lionel Messi got things started with a goal for the ages, beating a number of challenges in blistering fashion - before cutting into the box, beating another tackle, and finding the bottom corner. A terrific team move meant that Barcelona went into half-time two goals to the good, as Neymar rounded off a sublime team move. The Blaugrana weren't at the same tempo after the interval, but Messi added yet another goal late on to take the Barcelona's front-three's tally to 120 goals this season - nipping between the Bilbao defence to put it in the net from close-range. Inaki Williams hit a late consolation to reward the Basque's improved efforts after the break, despite the fact they had just 27% possession come full-time. Luis Enrique's men have completed the domestic double, and they're one win away from the continental trouble - what would be their second in six years.
22:42. The Camp Nou is in party mood as they celebrate their win, as you can see:
The Camp Nou is celebrating the cup and the double. How have you been celebrating? #CampionsFCB #CopaFCB #CampNou #FCBWorld
Vine by FC Barcelona
22:40. Barcelona celebrate another silverware success. They'll struggle to cope without the likes of Xavi - who leaves for Qatar soon - and Iniesta, who is also likely to hang his boots up within the next few years. They've been pivotal to the club's success over the years, but with Messi, Neymar and Suarez up-top - the sky is the limit for Luis Enrique and co. They've already hit 120 goals and counting this season.
22:37. This man, Lionel Messi, produced yet another masterclass tonight. It is quite difficult to put into words his quality, as Bilbao captain Carlos Gurpegui collects his side's runners-up plate. Moments later, Xavi and Iniesta lift the King's Cup together - not for the first time. Xavi will enjoy every minute of his success this evening. 
22:35. Flares, flags, scarves and support. It's a sight to behold in the Camp Nou, as Javier Mascherano leads the Barcelona supporters into a chorus of 'Campione, Campione, Ole, Ole, Ole!' The Athletic Bilbao players are looking slightly more despondent, but they've done themselves and the club proud. It takes a lot of effort to stop Barcelona right now, and Juventus will have their work cut out to do so in the final of the Champions League in seven days time.
22:32. Both sides thanking their sets of supporters at either end of the ground. The Barcelona players are just minutes away from lifting another trophy. What a first year it has been for the likes of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic and more. Trophies and glory galore.
22:30. Nice scenes at the Camp Nou, just minutes after the unnecessary debacle between both sets of players on the pitch. The Athletic players are understandably upset, but their fans are staying inside the ground to support their side until the end. Their proud fans are always there through thick and thin, and that has been no different tonight.
22:27. It must be said, what a send-off for Xavi - as Gerard Pique cracks open the champagne to celebrate in front of his fans. Stage two of the the treble is complete, and in supreme style. It could have been so many more, as Barcelona lift their second silverware in a week, but it was a thoroughly deserved performance. Athletic hung in, but Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez fuelled yet another victory for the Blaugrana.
22:25. The Barcelona players gather in a circle and celebrate their triumph, just a week after they celebrated a La Liga win on the same soil. Luis Enrique's men were simply superior this evening as the Athletic Club Bilbao fans come to terms with the result. The 40,000 Basques have been in brilliant voice all night and Inaki Williams deserved his goal, with Iago Herrerín keeping the scores respectable. Barca deserved their win, but Ernesto Valverde's side gave their all tonight - just as they have throughout their Copa del Rey campaign.
22:22. Barcelona are the King's Cup champions for the 27th time in their history, after a simply sensational performance against Bilbao. Two down, one to go. The UEFA Champions League final awaits.
FT: Athletic Club Bilbao 1-3 Barcelona.
90+4' Susatea fouls Mathieu down the left before Barcelona work it across to Alves, who has been excellent tonight. Perhaps the Barcelona fans are witnessing his final ever game at Camp Nou? A tremendous noise in the ground from both ends in these final seconds as the Bilbao fans rise to celebrate their side.
90+3' The Barcelona supporters are in loud voice again, after a scintillating 90 minutes of football. Bilbao have played their part, improving vastly after being outclassed in the first-half - but they've ultimately fallen short in a lack of quality. They've missed some key players and at the same time, they've struggled to keep the Blaugrana's front-three quiet. They've taken their tally from 117 to 120 after tonight's game. That's right, 120 goals between three players - 59 from Lionel Messi, and he might not be done yet.
90+1' Four minutes added on at Camp Nou, as Xabi is just about denied by the post. He clips an effort towards the top corner, but it goes the wrond side of the post. He's an inch away from capping a tremendous career with a fairytale ending.
90' Pique is forced to come across and pull away Busquets, who is booked for his complaints to the referee. Can Barcelona convert from this set-piece? It's around 25-yards from goal, to the left.
89' That put some unnecessary bad light on what has been a terrific display of football from Barcelona. The Basque supporters' whistling is piercing the eardrums, as Susaeta brings him down with a late challenge on the edge of the box. This has become all about the 23-year-old now.
88' Neymar races onto a long free-kick and then tries some ambitious showboating, trying a rainbow flick over the head of Bustinza at the corner flag. The Bilbao players are absolutely seething with the Brazilian, who walks away nonchalantly. There's a huge ruckus on the pitch as St. Joseph comes across to say a few choice words. A mixture of anger between the way in which Neymar went down to the ground easily after the challenge, and perhaps what they portray as a lack of respect. The Barcelona fans sing his name as he goes into the book for a foul on Laporte.
86' Bustinza commits another foul, bringing down Neymar from behind in an aerial duel. There's only a few minutes left for Athletic to get another goal and find a way back. Carlos Velasco Carballo briefly stops play with Neymar hobbling after being caught.
85' Bilbao absolutely all over the pitch now as they pepper the box with crosses from wide, but they cost possession as Bustinza brings down Pedro with a poorly-timed challenge. He's lucky to escape without a caution for that.
83' Ibai Gomez tries his luck from outside the box, catching a dropping volley nicely. Bilbao looking to throw everything at Barca now, as Gomez tries another shot after running onto a looping ball - but he can't take a hold of the strike and it's always going over. Don't take anything away form the Basque side though, they've been much better in this second 45 minutes.
82' Well that has momentarily silenced the Barcelona supporters, and not many saw that coming - but Luis Enrique's men are still on top of the game and it would be some collapse if they were to get back into this.
80' Williams rises to direct a header past Ter Stegen from Ibai Gomez's cross, despite being tightly marked by Busquets, and only minutes after I said they'd be lucky to score at all. If anyone in red and white deserves it, it's the 20-year-old - who has been their best player at Camp Nou all night.
79' GOAL! 3-1. Athletic Bilbao pull one back through Inaki Williams. Commentators' curse, I guess.
78' The Basques are still chasing down the game, but they can't get close to Messi. He gets his way out of another tight situation with superb footwork and Barcelona counter until Neymar is flagged for another contentious offside call. There could be more goals in this.
76' Suarez and Alba make their way respectively to great receptions from the Barcelona fans, replaced by Jeremy Mathieu and Pedro. It's surely all over for Bilbao, who would be lucky to get on the scoresheet at this rate - and the 40,000 Los Cules are understandably bouyant behind Ter Stegen.
75' Fifteen minutes left now, with Pedro and Mathieu set to come on. Seven days away from the biggest game in Europe, and they're in fine form as Xavi almost helps it through to Suarez but he can't reach it before Herrerín.
74' Lacklustre defending from Bilbao, as they stand and watch Alves' cross drift into the box without reacting. Messi sees the opportunity, nips in between the defence and directs the ball past Herrerín with an outside of the foot effort from close-range. Game, set, match.
73' GOAL! 3-0. Messi gets another, and Barcelona look to have sealed another Copa del Rey.
72' Enrique engaging in discussion with his first-team assistant on the bench. He'll be making changes soon, you'd suspect, with the Champions League final in the back of his mind. But who do you bring off after this performance?
71' Barcelona are cruising to their 27th Copa del Rey success now. Pique picks out a gorgeous 60-yard pass into Alves' feet down the right, but his cross is blocked and Bilbao scramble the ball away for a throw.
70' Benat brings down Alves, though it looks as though he may have got a touch on the ball. From the free-kick, Neymar looks to break into space and loses it first-time - but he gets it back and tries to feed Messi. With space ahead of him, the Argentine's touch just lets it get away from him. Not too far away though, as Barcelona win another corner. Their fourth of the game.
68' Young Williams concedes a booking after wrestling Rakitic down to the floor down Barca's right. Messi looks over the ball, but Xavi takes an inswinging delivery, but Suarez is again rightly flagged offside. Still 2-0 to Barcelona as it stands.
66' Rico lets the ball slip over the touchline and out for a throw-in. The Bilbao midfield, and their front-line, have not really found their top form - but it's the opposite at the other end. After Xavi picks him out on the left, Neymar cuts inside two players before looking to curl a shot inside the far top corner. He doesn't quite find the execution this time, mind, as he skies it well wide.
65' Barcelona, uncharacteristically, choose a poor pass with Rakitic coming from an offside position back into play - and the ball falls through for the Bilbao defence to pick up. They really need to pile bodies forward if they are to get back in the game, but that leaves dangerous pockets of space for Luis Enrique's men to exploit on the counter-attack. Big gamble for them in these remaining 25 minutes.
63' Barcelona have won the last two Copa del Rey meetings between this side, but you wouldn't think it looks like being a third tonight. The Bilbao supporters are jumping up and down defiantly. Barcelona try to respond, given that they are in their own ground, but it looks like they'll be celebrating over the 40,000 red and white shirts come full-time.
61' Busquets brings down Aduriz with an arm, but there's no yellow card. Bilbao hang the ball up into the box through Susaeta, but though they win the header - Rico can't bring it down to get a shot away. They've been better in the last 15-16 minutes, but they've yet to test Ter Stegen all game. They'll need a goal sooner rather than later to revive any hopes of ending their 31-year wait for success in this competition.
60' Alba, unusually, can't bring a long ball under control and holds his hand up apologetically. Barcelona have cooled the tempo slightly in this second-half, but they've still yet to put a foot wrong with the Bilbao fans still in fine voice behind Herrerín's goal.
58' Balenziaga goes into Carlos Velasco Carballo's book, though the decision looked to have been a bit debatable. The Spanish official has had a mixed afternoon so far, after the contentious decision to chalk Neymar's early goal off, despite the fact it looked to be onside.
57' Substitution for Valverde's men, who will bring on Susaeta as they continue to chase this game. One half of the Camp Nou is up and applauding to commemorate Iraola's last ever performance for Bilbao. The defender will depart for the MLS in the summer after a great career in Spain.
56' Suarez, as ever, pounces on a fortutious deflection after Alves overruns the ball - but Etxeita gets in the way to force a corner-kick, which leads to an offside flag after Messi is caught out.
55' Substitution: Xavi enters the field of play to a rousing applause, as Iniesta makes way. This will be the long-term Barcelona midfielder's penultimate performance for the club, and his last ever at Camp Nou. What a career he has had, as he collects the armband in his 776th game for Barcelona.
54' Alves concedes a foul down the left which Benat swings in, but it doesn't quite fall for any Athletic Club player to bring down inside the box. Barcelona again counter, and Suarez wins a throw-in down the left.
53' Barcelona deal, with the initial cross, but Bilbao are playing better in the final third and Iraola's blocked volley wins a corner. It's taken short and though Ter Stegen makes a meal of Benat's cross, he collects from a header back into the box.
52' Alves and Messi, who have linked up nicely all night, do so again - but the full-back's cross is too central for Herrerín to gather. 20-year-old Williams is leading the charge for Bilbao up the other end, as he wins another free-kick for his side.
51' Rakitic looks to cross into Neymar inside the box, but it deflects off of Laporte and into Herrerín's hands. Bilbao look to make their way up the pitch but concede the ball cheaply and after Messi is denied what would have been a cheap free-kick, Suarez is then fouled.
50' Williams picks up the ball from 25-yards out and glides through the lines, dodging a number of challenges, but Barcelona remain strong at the back. It's almost brilliant on the counter, as Suarez looks to backheel the ball into Alves' overlapping path - but it takes an unfortunate deflection and runs out of the way.
49' Herrerín hangs it into the box, and Pique deals with the initial cross. St. Joseph works it out to Iraola, whose blocked cross wins a corner-kick. Benat swings it in from the right-side, but St. Joseph is punished for a foul as he hangs his foot high, catching Alves in the face, as he tries to meet the ball.
48' Neymar tries to slip it into Iniesta inside the box, but can't quite pick him out. Bilbao retrieve the ball and Williams wins a free-kick out of Busquets 10-yards inside the halfway line.
47' This Barcelona team is surely considered up there with Pep Guardiola's side in their peak - even though Enrique has been in charge just a year. They're playing excellently together, spearheaded by that sumptuous front-three. This is a question of "How many will Barca score?"
46' We're back underway at Camp Nou. Messi, Suarez and Neymar have taken their tally as a trio to a Spanish record of 119 with the Argentine netting his 57th of the season in his 56th appearance and Neymar netting his 38th in 50. Suarez sits on 24 in 42, with an impressive 21 assists. Not a bad year for the South American triumvirate considering thy still have another 135 minutes (and possibly more) left to add to that tally. They're all smiles as they walk back onto the turf to get us back in action.
21:30. What's for sure, thinking ahead of tonight, Barcelona - Juventus in the UEFA Champions League final on June 6th is going to be an exciting encounter indeed. Both sides can complete the treble with a win in Berlin, and the form Barcelona's forward line are in - it would be hard to bet against them. Back to the Copa del Rey final here though, and the players will be back out onto the pitch shortly.
21:28. This has been unbelievable stuff, and I'm running out of superlatives to describe it. Bring on the second-half. Can Athletic Bilbao find an improbable way back into the game? We'll be back with you with the second 45 minutes of King's Cup action shortly.
21:26. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher taking to Twitter: "Watching Barcelona is liking watching our top teams but with the fast forward button pressed down permanently."
21:25. There was very little Bilbao could do about the first goal, which was a brilliant individual goal, while they were guilty of defensive frailty for the second - which was a terrific team goal. Watch out Massimiliano Allegri and Juventus FC. Who would want to face Barcelona in this kind of form?
21:23. A comeback from Athletic Club here would genuinely go down in the history books as one of the best ever in the history of the beautiful game. Barcelona are high and flying after the first 45 minutes, following two magnificent goals. Valverde admitted he didn't know how to stop Messi before the game and on this evidence, the answer is simple - you don't.
21:20. Messi is the figure of plenty of worship as the players make their way off the pitch, and that was an incredible display from the magician. Bilbao will have been happy at the 20th minute, despite playing second-fiddle - but Messi dummied a number of challenges without fuss, before drilling a low effort into the back of the net. Neymar capped off a terrific team move in the 36th minute as Barcelona put two past Bilbao and edged closer to another piece of silverware. Watch the first goal for yourself here.
HT: Athletic Club Bilbao 0-2 Barcelona.
45' Half-time nearing, and boy do Athletic Club Bilbao need that whistle. Aside from hitting the bar, they've been pegged back for much of this first-half - Barcelona enjoying 68% possession in familiar surroundings. The home side, who are actually playing as the visitors, are well on their way to their 27th King's Cup.
43' And another yellow, as Iraola brings down Suarez cynically on the edge of the area. He was through on goal if the defender doesn't make the challenge. Messi and Rakitic line up the 25-yard free-kick, which is to the left of the goal, and Herrerín is forced to make a world-class save to prevent the diminutive Argentine putting the game out of reach. Great execution.
42' First yellow card of the evening as Pique overcommits on Aduriz. The striker gets the better of him and he comes in late on him, bringing the 34-year-old down with a clattering challenge on the byline - but Benat's subsequent cross is caught comfortably by Ter Stegen.
41' So close for Bilbao. That would have upset the script! Williams makes a great run between the two central defenders and meets a clipped ball with aplomb, volleying it back across goal - but it deflects off the crossbar and out.
40' This is easily one of the most difficult games to summise in words. 119 goals between Messi, Suarez and Neymar now - a world record for the Barcelona front-three. They've been at their blistering best this evening, and they've helped put their side close to sealing a double and therefore nearing the treble. Ernesto Valverde is looking rather sheepish on the sidelines.
39' Bilbao's hopes hanging by a thread, as Williams looks to squeeze a low cross into Aduriz. They're really up against it here, with Barcelona well in control.
38' Not many sides can pass and move just like Barcelona do, and they truly have silenced the 50,000 Basque supporters inside the ground with that kind of football. Messi and Alves link up beautifully in the final third before Barca feed Suarez through. He could go alone, but he slides in his Brazilian teammate for an easy tap-in. Football for the purists.
37' GOAL! 2-0 Barcelona. Glorious football from Luis Enrique's side in a terrific passing move, before Neymar caps off the play with a finish from Suarez's squared ball. What a team goal.
36' Great pressing high up the pitch from Valverde's side, to force Barcelona into conceding possession defensively - but they can't take advantage. Barcelona are so much quicker and in-sync in the final third. Just a few passes and the Bilbao defence find themselves carved apart.
35' It almost falls kindly for 32-year-old Andoni Iraola, making his final appearance for Bilbao, as Aduriz challenges for a cross and it bounces across the box and narrowly over the right-back's head.
34' Offside flag is up again for Suarez, as Neymar skips past a number of challenges before looking to beat another man as opposed to shooting when he finds an opening. He runs it too far wide, where he is forced to find Alves but his cross into the Uruguayan sees the fourth official raise his flag.
33' Barcelona completely controlling, though Athletic Club are far from out of this encounter just yet. Luis Enrique's side are enjoying plenty of possession, which they continue to use well as Rakitic buys a foul out of Laporte inside the Bilbao half.
33' There's handbags back in Barcelona, with Alba and Williams engaging in a heated argument as the referee comes across to settle things. Carlos Velasco Carballo does well to settle the tempers.
32' For those European football fans out there, it's all over in Berlin - Jurgen Klopp's last Dortmund game ends in a 3-1 loss to VFL Wolfsburg in the German Cup final.
31' I've gone on about it a lot already, but the replays make that goal look even better as Messi cuts a mesmerising pass to switch the play. Alba controls and puts it across the box, where Suarez is only inches away from putting his side two-goals ahead.
30' One. Way. Traffic. This is hard to keep up with, as Neymar finds the side netting from inside the area. Bilbao manage a rare break away and win a free-kick which is worked to Williams down the right. He looks to swing a cross back into the box, but Ter Stegen is quick off the mark to gather in mid-air.
28' And they're far from done, as Herrerín is forced to make another great close-range save to tip Pique's flick from a few yards out over his crossbar and out for a goal-kick.
27' More on that brilliant, brilliant goal. That strike, angling inside the bottom corner, means the Barcelona front-three have scored 118 goals - equalling the record of Higuain, Ronaldo and Benzema of Real Madrid back in 2010-11.
26' Huge save from Iago Herrerín! This tie is threatening to get away from Athletic Club already as Barcelona beat the offside trap with some excellent movement. Suarez looks to square to Neymar inside the box, but the goalkeeper thwarts the winger from close-range. So almost 2-0.
25' That is easily up there with the best goals the King's Cup has ever seen, and the best goals Messi has ever scored. The sensational simplicity of how he glides through those Bilbao players with such ease. The Barcelona fans serenade him with chants of his name, and rightly so. A once in a lifetime player who seems to get better and better.
24' It's difficult to sum that up even five minutes afterwards. The Argentine almost finds himself at the heart of another beautiful flowing move as he picks out Suarez inside the box, but his touch allows the ball to get away from him.
23' Absolutely unbelievable from Barca's number 10, to weave his way through three bodies down the right-side. He makes his way infield, sneaking through a few more red and white shirts before finding Herrerín's near bottom corner with an accurate strike. Words cannot do that justice as Messi nets his 57th of the season.
21' GOAL! 1-0 Barcelona. Just when you think you've seen it all, Lionel Messi shows exactly why he's so highly-rated. Absolutely magical.
20' Suarez the next man complaining as the referee gives a foul on the Uruguayan, who tangles with Laporte before racing away one-on-one.
19' But not for long, as Barcelona win it straight back and Neymar wins a free-kick as St. Joseph catches him down the back of his calf. Messi stands over the ball down the right flank and rolls it short to Rakitic. He looks for Iniesta who feeds it into Neymar, but he hesitates to shoot and loses the ball after too much indecision.
18' Messi turns brilliantly down the right, complaining to the match officials as no foul is given despite plenty of contact from Balenziaga. The defender gets the better of the Argentine second time round to win the ball.
17' Only one of these Bilbao players have ever played in a King's Cup final before tonight, but that inexperience is hardly showing. They've managed themselves well, though Barcelona are enjoying the better of the game. They could be one goal to the good already, as Neymar saw his early effort chalked off controversially. Still 0-0 here at Camp Nou.
15' Fairly one-way game in the first quarter of an hour. Messi manages to get out of a tight spot, but can't quite pick out a pass to Suarez. In the centre of the pitch, Alves' high boot gifts Athletic Club a free-kick - despite the Brazilian's protests to the referee.
14' Aduriz earns his side a brief rest bite, winning a foul out of Neymar - but Barcelona deal with the deep free-kick well. They were certainly very fortunate with that offside flag, as the replays show. Nevertheless, they're looking to push on themselves - though Benat can't win a corner-kick as he looks to deflect a dead-end pass off of Pique.
12' The game has burst into life, as Suarez shot at the near post is blocked by Herrerín after Rakitic's pass. Barcelona manage to keep the ball in the final third, but find too many red and white shirts in their way as they try to find a way through.
10' First chances of the game! Ter Stegen almost commits a mistake in his own area, nearly allowing Williams to open the scoring. He clears his lines and straight up the other end, Messi picks out a perfectly precise pass over the defence and into Neymar. He sidefoots one into the bottom corner, but he's flagged offside just as the celebrations begin. Was that the right decision? It was a close one.
9' Los Leones certainly posing a threat, but Benat's ball back towards Rico down the left hand-side is wayward. Bilbao retrieve possession from the throw-in, before Rico struggles to help on a long-ball to a striker and it'll be a goal-kick for Ter Stegen.
8' No real goalmouth action in these early stages, with Bilbao full of passion though Barcelona are looking to control as they normally do. The hosts have given away a number of early fouls, but Carlos Velasco Carballo is keeping his cards pocketed so far.
6' Messi cuts inside and exchanges possession with Alves before looking to feed Suarez, but he is closed out. Bilbao thump clear again, but Aduriz is guilty of another foul - making a bit of contact with Rakitic with his elbow. The Croatian makes the most of it again, but it's a foul and a rightful free-kick.
5' Suarez brings a ball under control before Etxeita nicks a foot in to start a counter-attack. It's worked out to Mikel Rico, whose cross inside the area is met by Aduriz but he never really catches the header. If he had left it for Williams, however, that attack could have ended very differently.
4' Lively start from today's home team, who are unfortunate not to win a free-kick on the edge of the area as Busquets catches Aduriz. Barcelona counter, but Neymar's ball into Messi is intercepted and cleared. He did seem to go down a little theatrically in all honesty.
3' It's taken quickly to Messi, but he's quickly surrounded by a number of Bilbao players and they steal possession away from him. They'll have a tough job keeping him, Suarez and Neymar quite tonight. Up the other end, Inaki Williams' through ball is blocked out but it bounces back out before Bilbao look to feed Aduriz inside the area, but he commits a needless foul on Alves and gives away a free-kick.
2' Bilbao pressing straight from the off as they look to make it difficult for the home side, who always look to control the game. The away side (Barcelona, for those of you joining us late) win a free-kick inside the centre-circle as Aduriz catches Alves.
1' Kick-off! Athletic get us underway in Catalonia to a sensational amount of noise.
20:28. A deafening chorus of jeers and boos overawes the Spanish national anthem, as expected. The pre-match normalities are almost all underway. We'll have the live action of the 2014-15 Copa del Rey final between Athletic Club Bilbao and Barcelona from Camp Nou in just a few minutes.
20:25. The players walk out of the tunnel and past the trophy, both sides with fantastic mosaics and banners. 'Fent Historia' reads one half, translated to 'Make History' whilst the other reads 'Athletic' on top of red and white cards.
20:23. The supporters are ready, with one side of Camp Nou oddly packed out in a legion of red and white with the occasional few dots of green, whilst the other is a sea of Blaugrana. The players of both sides are in the tunnel and ready to walk out to a raucous atmosphere as we near kick-off.
20:19. The 2015 Copa del Rey final is nearing the start. Both of these sides have been excellent for the past few months, but which one will be crowned King's Cup champions? Find out right here. Kick-off in 10 minutes.
20:15. Barcelona have scored at least two goals in nine of their last ten matches against Athletic Club in all competitions. How many goals can we expect today? Tweet in your opinions to @VAVEL.
20:13. Don't underestimate just how big a day this is for Bilbao and their supporters. Though they've gone 31 years without a King's Cup, San Mames is starting to fill up as the Basque fans gather to watch the final in their own surroundings. The Camp Nou meanwhile, is a sea of red and white already.
20:10. Not too long until kick-off now as darkness falls upon Camp Nou. There's expected to be huge boos before the starting whistle, with the Spanish national anthem being played in a stadium of 99,354 Catalonian and Basque fans - two areas both looking for independence.
20:07. Barca full-back Jordi Alba has stressed the importance of focusing on this evening's game with the potential distraction of the upcoming Champions League final looming over his teammates. "The team is focused on Saturday’s game, really motivated and it would be a shame to be distracted by the next game," he said. "We want to win the treble and we are confident that we can do it, but not winning the treble would not be a failure because it will not be easy at all. Athletic and Juventus are two different sides but they are in the finals on merit. They will be difficult to beat. The players are the ones who play and we know how difficult it is to win three trophies. Let nobody think it is easy."
20:04. Bilbao will probably also need Barca to have an off-day, if they are to triumph. The Blaugrana have a fully-fit front-three to lead their line and will be full of confidence, but Valverde's side have had a sensational second-half to the campaign - currently on a seven-game unbeaten run. This is their biggest game of the season, and should Barcelona show any slight glimpse of complacency, you can bet Bilbao will be there to take advantage.
20:01. But Valverde will be confident in the ability of his players to cause issues themselves. Aritz Aduriz, who has scored 18 league goals, a career best, starts up-front for his side. He'll need to be in top-form tonight, if Athletic Club are to spring a shock this evening.
19:58. Athletic Club Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde won't have much to do to get his team motivated for tonight's game, but he has been honest in admitting that he's not quite sure how to stop Lionel Messi. "I don't know how to stop Lionel Messi but we have to try," said Valverde. "We know how good he is and more than that, I cannot say anything about Messi that nobody already knows. We see him every day on the pitch. He is a player who shows his quality on the big stage, like finals. We have to try to stop him from doing the things he is capable of; he won't do all those things on the pitch."
19:55. Both sides have a mosaic planned at either end of the ground for today's game. We don't know what Bilbao's will look like yet, but here is an early glimpse of how Barcelona's will look:
19:52. The Basque people have flocked in their thousands to Catalonia today, as you can see. Will they see an upset today?
19:48. Of course, this evening's King's Cup final is not the only major final in Europe. England's Arsenal have celebrated a 4-0 win over Aston Villa in the final of the FA Cup, their second successive triumph in the tournament - whilst Borussia Dortmund currently trail Wolfsburg 3-1 in the DFB Pokal final as they near half-time in Berlin. Keep up-to-date with that game here.
19:45. The Camp Nou will be split 50/50 today, with around 50,000 Athletic fans set to descend on Barcelona. The atmopshere around the ground is bouncing already, and the inside of the ground is decked out with the colours of both sides at either end.
19:43. No places for Masip, Douglas, Montoya, Vermaelen or Sergi Roberto in Barcelona's XI. They act as the visitors today at the Camp Nou, due to the rules that state the older club act as the home team in the final, and Athletic (1898) are one year older than Barcelona (1899).
19:40. Barcelona Bench: Bravo, Xavi, Pedro, Rafinha, Bartra, Adriano, Mathieu.
19:38. Athletic Bilbao Bench: Iraizoz, Iturraspe, Kike Sola, Ibai, Susaeta, Gurpegi, Aketxe.
19:35. Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen, Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba, Busquets, Iniesta, Rakitic, Neymar, Suarez, Messi.
19:33. Athletic Bilbao XI: Herrerín, Bustinza, Balenziaga, Etxeita, Laporte, St. Joseph, Benat, M. Rico, Iraola, Williams, Aduriz.
19:31. The team news is in...
19:30. We're only an hour away from kick-off in tonight's Copa del Rey final between Athletic Club Bilbao and Barcelona LIVE from the Nou Camp. We'll have plenty more pre-match build-up before kick-off, but stay tuned for the team news from both sides - which we will bring you shortly.
Gurpegi, an experienced 34-year-old midfielder who has played in two losing Copa del Rey finals - both to Barcelona, also stated: "It’s the game of our careers. It could change our lives and Athletic’s history. Barça is favourite in 95% of the games that they play in and that is the case against Athletic. Furthermore, the game is at Camp Nou."
Meanwhile duo Mikel Rico and Carlos Gurpegi also spoke about their anticipation ahead of what could be one of the biggest games of their careers. Rico said: "We want to show that we can do great things with the Athletic philosophy. Winning this final would be an heroic achievement. My dream right now is to see myself on the river in Bilbao on the Gabarra boat celebrating Cup victory. Barça is a very complete team, with players who can make the difference. It's up to us to make sure they're not 100%."
Bilbao striker Aduriz believes that the Barcelona side he faces up against this evening is one of the strongest in history as he admitted his excitement ahead of the Copa del Rey final. "Barça are not unbeatable, they're just people like us. We'll have to put pressure the whole game, not just at the start. We rely on our team spirit. There are no individuals and we will look to do our best to beat a super team like Barça. It is one of the best Barça teams in history. They have the best player in the world, surrounded by other great players."
Did you know? Both Athletic Club and Barcelona have a 100% record in cup finals in Barcelona. Barca have won four cups in their home city, though only one of them in the Camp Nou, back in 1963 as they beat Zaragoza 3-1. The other wins in Barcelona came in 1957 against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuïc and at Camp de la Indústria where they beat Gimnàstica de Madrid 2-0 in 1912 and then Real Sociedad 2-1 in 1913. Athletic Club Bilbao have never lifted a cup at the Camp Nou itself, but they have won four of their six titles in the city (1930, 1933, 1944 and 1945) at Montjuic, whilst the other two were won at Les Corts (1923) and the Carrer Muntaner ground (1917). (Stats courtesy of fcbarcelona.com)
Athletic Bilbao will be hoping for third time lucky today, having lost twice in La Liga this season versus Barca. Neymar's brace gave Enrique's side a comfortable victory at Camp Nou. In their second meeting of the season, the Brazilian scored again with Barcelona's front-three at full effect - Messi and Suarez also getting on the scoresheet, as an Etxeita own goal and a Pedro effort helped seal a 5-2 win for the Blaugrana as Aduriz and Mikel Rico netted for the hosts at San Mames.
Barcelona have announced their full 23-man squad for tonight's game, including Suarez, who has been declared fully-fit. Here is that complete list: Ter Stegen, Bravo, Masip, Montoya, Piqué, Rakitic, Sergio, Xavi, Pedro, Iniesta, Suárez, Messi, Neymar Jr, Rafinha, Mascherano, Bartra, Douglas, Jordi Alba, S. Roberto, Adriano, Alves, Vermaelen, Mathieu.
Here's an interesting statistic. Barcelona have won their last eight straight matches in Copa del Rey, scoring 31 goals in the process. Enrique's men have scored at least three goals in seven of their last eight matches in the competition. Bilbao have scored 12 goals in their eight games, by contrast.+
Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde has also been speaking to the press throughout the week and insisted a win tonight would be the icing on the cake of a fine second-half of the season. He said: "If you have to choose a way to reach a final, you choose to do it with a positive momentum. This year we have been a team, with both good and bad long stretches. In the second half [of the season] we have achieved 36 points and we finished in Europe, which was our goal in the league. We only need to put the finishing touch with the Copa title."
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique was forced to entertain a number of questions about his side's chances of the treble in his pre-match press conference, but has insisted his side are solely focused on tonight's game: "I am preparing for one final, tomorrow's one," he said on Friday. "There isn't another final for me right now. I know Juventus and what we have to transmit to the players we can starting from next week. We are desperate to win the Cup. I wouldn't put one title above another because it is an opportunity that doesn't come around often."
Barcelona's journey to the Copa del Rey final: Having enjoyed comfortable victories in the first two rounds, Barca were drawn against then-La Liga champions Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals. Diego Simeone's side defended well in typical fashion at the Camp Nou in the first 90 minutes, but were left rueing poor decision-making as Juanfran hauled down Sergio Busquets inside the box with just a few minutes left. Jan Oblak saved the initial penalty-kick but the rebound fell kindly and Messi tapped in the rebound for a grateful advantage. It was to turn out vital in an action-packed second-leg at the Vicente Calderon. Atleti's Fernando Torres put the home side level on terms within just one minute after striking a fantastic effort in off the post from the outside of the box. Neymar took advantage of lackadaisical defending to give Barcelona the momentum again after nine minutes, but Javier Mascherano conceded a penalty on the half-hour, which Raul Garcia duly converted. In typical fashion, Barca levelled the tie within a few minutes as Busquets' header from a corner was deflected in by Miranda to put Luis Enrique's men well in control. Three minutes later, Neymar put the tie almost out of reach after a controversial refereeing decision failed to go the way of the home side in the build-up. Through frustration, Atletico Madrid effectively surrendered their chances of a comeback when Gabi was sent off at half-time and things escalated further as Arda Turan somehow escaped with only a yellow card after hurling his boot at the linesman. Enrique's side continued to enjoy more of the game and their result was sealed as Mario Suarez was given a red card to put them down to nine men after two quick yellows, meaning Barca went on to progress 4-2 over the two games. Barcelona faced another tough task in Villarreal in the semi-finals, but they took a 3-1 first-leg advantage after Messi gave the lead before the break. El Submarino Amarillo drew level just after the interval when Manu Trigueros equalised, but Iniesta and Gerard Pique put the home side back in the driving seat. In the second-leg at the Mestalla, Villarreal faced a difficult task and only made it harder for themselves after conceding to Neymar's effort inside three minutes. Jonathan dos Santos rescued hope with a quickfire brace before half-time to put them just one goal away from levelling on aggregate, but Tomás Pina Isla saw red in the 65th minute and less than 10 minutes later, Suarez put the result beyond doubt to seal a 3-1 win on the night and a 6-2 victory overall to confirm a place in the 2014-15 Copa del Rey final.
Barcelona's journey to the Copa del Rey final: Segunda División B's SD Huesca had a mammoth-sized task in facing Barcelona in the Round of 32, and the difference in quality showed. Goals from Ivan Rakitic, Andres Iniesta, Pedro and Rafinha gave Barca a 4-0 win away from home, before sealing an emphatic 8-1 victory in the return-leg as Pedro hit a hat-trick, Sergi Roberto, Iniesta, Adriano, Adama Traore and Sandro all scored though Carlos David Moreno gave the travelling supporters something to cheer for with an 86th minute consolation. That win gave Barcelona passage into the Round of 16, where they met Elche CF and enjoyed another comfortable first-leg win at Camp Nou. Neymar scored twice, whilst Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba also added the gloss to a 5-0 win - before Jeremy Mathieu, Sergi Roberto, Pedro and Adriano added further goals away at Elche for a 9-0 win on aggregate.
Athletic Bilbao's journey to the Copa del Rey final: For the third successive round, Bilbao were presented with an away game in the first-leg as they travelled to Malaga but emerged with only a 0-0 draw after a tightly-contested affair. The second-leg continued much the same as Aduriz netted a 48th minute goal and Bilbao clung on to single goal to seal their place in the semi-finals. In the final four, Valverde and co. were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at San Mamés, as Aduriz' 11th minute opener was cancelled out by Víctor Sánchez Mata 10 minutes before half-time, but neither side could find a winner. But away from home in the return-leg, Bilbao found top form as the in-form Aduriz netted yet again after 13 minutes to give them the advantage on aggregate and shortly after the break, Xabier Etxeita netted his second of the tournament to seal a place in the final in Catalonia.
Athletic Bilbao's journey to the Copa del Rey final: Valverde's side started off against Segunda División B CD Alcoyano, who were minutes away from a first-leg victory in the Round of 32 - before Borja Viguera's 91st minute equaliser. In the second-leg, Viguera netted again in the first-half to seal his side's progression into the next round. There, they were paired with Celta Vigo and contested one of the most entertaining fixtures of the competition so far in a 4-2 victory away from home. Mikel San Jose gave the visitors the perfect start just five minutes in, before Celta pulled level through Alex Lopez six minutes later. Aritz Aduriz restored the lead after quarter of an hour, but the home side pulled level again in the 54th minute through Charles. Again, they didn't stay level for long - as Susaeta put Bilbao back in-front after 61 minutes. Aduriz netted his second of the game late on to seal a 4-2 win before a second-leg clash at San Mamés. Things got a little nervy on home turf, as goals from Xabier Etxeita and Fabián Orellana gave Celta Vigo a two-goal lead to make it 4-4 on aggregate, but Athletic Club progressed via away goals.
Tonight, Athletic Bilbao are contesting for their first trophy since winning the Supercopa de España in 2009 - whilst Barcelona are looking for their 27th Copa del Rey - but how did they get here to the final?
Iniesta has the chance to take his final honours to 23 titles with a third Copa del Rey this evening and admits he can feel a few similarities between the treble-winning side of 2008-09 and the current side. "No two seasons are the same. I see similarities with the treble season because we are back to playing for everything," he added. "The feelings among the group are very good because we wouldn't be in this situation if they weren't. We know we are close to something very important that almost never happens. They are two games and we want to take another step to win the two titles that are left."
Barcelona midfielder Iniesta has hailed the club's South American front-three, saying they are the best that he has ever played with. "I have had the chance to play with the best strikers in the world at this club," he said. "At the moment to have these three players is something incomparable. For me all three are the number one, all three are still young and have spectacular potential."
Did you know? Barcelona are undefeated in 23 of their last 24 matches against Athletic Club in all competitions including having not lost on home soil to Bilbao since 2001. Barca's last loss to tonight's opponents was back in December 2013, when they lost 1-0 in the league.
The man in the middle: Tonight's match will be officiated by Carlos Velasco Carballo - a Spanish professional referee most famously remembered for not sending off Colombia's Juan Camilo Zúñiga after a dangerous challenge on Barcelona's Neymar during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The challenge caused broken back vertebra and Neymar missed his country's next game, an unforgettable 7-1 defeat to Germany. Carballo also officiated the 2011 UEFA Europa League final as Porto beat Braga 1-0 in Dublin, as well as having taken charge of a number of UEFA Euro 2012 games. The 44-year-old will be assisted by duo Roberto Alonso Fernandez and Carlos Yuste Jimenez, while the fourth and fifth officials will be Carlos Del Cerro Grande and Raul Cabanero.
In other news for Barcelona, full-back Dani Alves is set to wait until after the UEFA Champions League final versus Juventus until revealing his decision as to whether to extend his stay with the club. The Brazilian, 32, is expected to leave the club with his contract running out this summer, with Paris Saint Germain his rumoured new suitors.
Tonight's match will be Xavi's penultimate Barcelona game, despite the fact he is expected to start from the bench. The 35-year-old midfielder has made 826 appearances for the club so far, scoring 87 goals, 69 and nine of which have come in this competition. He was given a superb send-off last weekend, as can be seen below, as the club celebrated his final ever La Liga game before he leaves to play in Qatar for Al Sadd after winning 23 trophies with the Blaugrana.
Athletic Bilbao - Barcelona Team News: Bilbao boss Valverde has a few more selection headaches with Iker Muniain and Ander Iturraspe still out and Jonas Ramalho also injured. The suspended Oscar De Marcos is expected to be replaced by Andoni Iraola at right-back, while Los Leones' Mikel Rico, Ager Aketze and Mikel San Jose are likely to retain spots in midfield. In-form striker Aritz Aduriz will play up-front after scoring 10 in his last 11 games. 
Athletic Bilbao - Barcelona Team News: If Suarez remains unfit, Pedro - with five goals in five games in the competition this season - will take his place. Meanwhile, long-time club servant Xavi, who played his final league appearance for Barcelona, could make one final display at Camp Nou before leaving for Qatar - but is likely to start on the bench. Another expected departure this summer, Daniel Alves, could start however - whilst Marc-Andre ter Stegen, having played in all the cups so far this season, is expected to stay in goal ahead of Claudio Bravo. Enrique will also have Thomas Vermaelen available after he made his first-team debut last weekend, nine months after signing for the club, with the Barcelona boss enjoying a fully-fit squad to choose from.
Athletic Bilbao - Barcelona Team News: Luis Suarez could feature for Barcelona tonight after returning to training on Wednesday. The Uruguayan has missed the last two weeks of action with a troublesome hamstring injury picked up in Barca's loss to Bayern Munich in their Champions League semi-final second leg. Read more ahead of his potential return, brought to you by Gerry Johnston, here.
Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, you can also check out the highlights of the 2011-12 final - Barcelona's last triumph in this competition, though they still sit as the most successful with 27 successes in the Copa del Rey. The second-nearest to Barca's record is actually Bilbao, whilst the third is Real Madrid, who are on 19 after Gareth Bale's superb late winner against Barcelona in the final last season.
Did you know? Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona have met in the final of the Copa del Rey seven times before tonight. The Catalan giants have won five of those meetings, with the Basque side having won the other two. Both sides have met in the final twice in the last six years, both of which Barcelona have won - 4-1 in 2008-09 and 3-0 in 2011-12.
Athletic Bilbao - Barcelona have met in the final of this competition seven times previously. Barcelona have five of those encounters, with Bilbao emerging victorious in the other two. The most recent two finals, in 2009 and 2012, have both gone the way of Barca.
Bilbao are huge underdogs going into tonight's game, but they have history with this competition - having won the King's Cup 23 beforehand - though their last has not come since 1983-84, when they beat Barcelona 1-0 thanks to Endika Guarrotxena's first-half goal. You can re-live that game in full here: