Yamal and Gavi lead Barcelona to 2-0 win over Atheltic Bilbao and into Spanish Super Cup final

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Lamine Yamal and Gavi Páez scored to lead Barcelona past Athletic Bilbao 2-0 and into the Spanish Super Cup final on Wednesday.

Gavi scored in the 17th minute of the semifinal for his first goal since the midfielder returned to playing in October after a serious leg injury that sidelined him for nearly a year.

Gavi then helped Yamal put the result away in the 52nd with a pass that the 17-year-old controlled while twirling toward the goal. Yamal sized up goalkeeper Unai Simón and slotted home to double the lead.

Real Madrid and Mallorca will play the other semifinal also in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday. The final is on Sunday.

Yamal didn’t reveal which rival he would prefer for the final, saying “the final will be tough, and we want to win it, that is the important thing.”

Gavi got Barcelona going after he redirected in a short pass from Alejandro Balde after the left back had reached the endline in Athletic's area.

Athletic could barely muster a threat until it was behind by two goals. Iñaki Williams thought he had scored in the final minutes but it was waived off after a video review ruled him offside.

The loss ended a 15-game unbeaten streak for Ernesto Valverde's team across all competitions.

Athletic was participating in the tournament as the winner of last season’s Copa del Rey. Barcelona is here as the Spanish league’s runner-up. The minor trophy has become a major cash maker for the federation and competing clubs since the federation struck a deal in 2019 to hold it in the Middle Eastern kingdom.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Barcelona's Gavi, front, celebrates after scoring during the Spanish Super Cup semifinal match between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Barcelona's Gavi, front, celebrates after scoring during the Spanish Super Cup semifinal match between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, left, and Athletic Bilbao's Yuri Berchiche fight for the ball during the Spanish Super Cup semifinal match between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in action in front of Athletic Bilbao's Yuri Berchiche during the Spanish Super Cup semifinal match between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring during the Spanish Super Cup semifinal match between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, left, and Gavi celebrate after the goal during the Spanish Super Cup semifinal match between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring during the Spanish Super Cup semifinal match between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)