Alexia and Salma propel Barça to another Champions League final

BarcelonaOslo's dream is now a reality. On May 23, Barça will play a Champions League final again —the sixth consecutive, the seventh in the last eight years— after beating Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou. Pere Romeu's team has shown that they also know how to compete bravely against great rivals and overcome adverse scenarios, which they are not accustomed to throughout the season. Goals from Salma Paralluelo, Ewa Pajor, and Alexia Putellas —with a brace— allow Barça to dream of their fourth Champions League (4-2). In the Oslo final, Olympique de Lyon, with former blaugranas Jonatan Giráldez and Ingrid Engen, will be waiting.

When you have 60,000 people cheering you on non-stop, it's hard for things not to go your way. Especially if you are an ambitious team that practically wins every game. At the Camp Nou, two teams unaccustomed to losing have met. The Bavarians and the blaugranas have only lost one match this season —the Germans at the Johan Cruyff by 7-1 and the Catalans at Real Sociedad's ground by 1-0—. In the first leg, the 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena meant they had to win at the Camp Nou to reach the final.

Barça made it clear, coming out quickly to seek the first goal with the initial push from the fans. The culés who went to the stadium played a key role before the initial whistle with the reception to the bus and in the first few minutes of the match. The anthem sung a cappella provided the final motivation —if it was even needed— for the blaugrana players. Norwegian Graham Hansen —who will play the final at home— took advantage of Kett's suspension —who defended her very well in the first leg— and led the blaugrana attack. The first chances came from her, and also the first goal after a cross to the far post that Salma, appearing from the second line, finished into the net.

The joy lasted very little at the Camp Nou. After the ecstasy of scoring the 1-0 —the one that always costs Barça more—, a loss by Irene Paredes in midfield generated a counter-attack by Bayern. Pernille Harder recovered and assisted Dallmann, who put the equalizer on the scoreboard amidst incredulous faces in the Camp Nou stands. But great teams are measured by how they react after taking a hit. And here, Alexia excels. Salma, one of the two changes Pere Romeu made to the lineup, sent a cross into the box that the Bavarian defense failed to clear, and Alexia took advantage to score and bring Barça closer to Oslo again.

The output after halftime has been from a dominant team. The Blaugranas, determined not to give Bayern any hope, have sealed the tie in just over ten minutes. First it was Ewa Pajor, who finished off a cross from Salma, and just after Alexia took advantage of a cross from Claudia Pina that Esmee Brugts headed to place —with suspense due to a possible offside— the 4-1. Absolute party at the Camp Nou, which has begun to enjoy the seventh Champions League final and the return of Aitana Bonmatí, who has returned to play after five months injured.

Tension until the end

But in football, nothing can be taken for granted until the referee blows the final whistle. Bayern has not given up and has fought until the end to be in the final. Pernille Harder took advantage of an error by Aitana in possession to close the gap, and from here, the Germans believed. So much so that Caruso and Dallmann hit the crossbar, and Cata Coll saved Gilles' goal, while Aitana and Pajor had the chance to seal the match. The midfielder's shot went wide, while the Pole's was saved by Mahmutovic, who had to play with a jersey that only had a number, without a sponsor or crest, due to the color clash. Harder made the Camp Nou tremble with the 4-3, but the goal — after being reviewed by VAR — was disallowed for a previous foul on Patri.

"All the stars have to align to be able to win," Edna Imade said before the match. The stars have aligned, but in favor of Barça. Everything has gone according to Pere Romeu's planned script, who will once again face a huge challenge on May 23 against Jonatan Giráldez, whose assistant coach she was at Barça. The Catalans have done their job and will be in a Champions League final again. They want to get rid of the sting from last year in Lisbon —when they lost to Arsenal— and continue to dominate the European scene.