Barça crucifies Real Madrid again

BarcelonaWords are running out to describe this team. The Barça women's team has once again made history, both on and off the field. Pere Romeu's squad has gathered 60,067 people at the Camp Nou – an absolute record since returning to the stadium, for both men's and women's teams –, Alexia Putellas has reached 500 matches with the blaugrana jersey and, on the field, has once again thrashed – and crucified – Real Madrid, for the third time in a week. 6-0 at the end of 90 minutes in Barcelona and 12-2 on aggregate in the tie. Barça advances with a firm step to the semifinals for the eighth consecutive season and will face Bayern Munich.

Unlike a week ago in Madrid, the streets of Barcelona had already been promoting the match at Camp Nou for days. The surroundings of the stadium have been filled with blaugrana shirts – many of them with the names of Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí, and Claudia Pina on the back–. The emotion and excitement of a historic day mingled with the nerves before starting. No one was worried about the tie, but all the culés wanted the afternoon to be perfect with a Catalan victory. If at the Alfredo Di Stéfano the Barça took the lead in the 6th minute, at Camp Nou it was in the 8th minute after a shot from Ewa Pajor that Misa saved, but Alexia Putellas – it had to be her –, collecting the rebound, took advantage to score the first goal.

The fans have erupted and that has given even more energy to Pere Romeu's team, which seven minutes later put the score at 2-0 with a cross from the captain that Graham Hansen finished off. Pau Quesada has emptied the midfield – with only Toletti and Angeldahl – and Barça has caused damage by being superior in a key area for their game. But the goals have come in all possible ways. Irene Paredes headed in a corner served by Graham to the far post to put the score at 3-0.

The white coach –as he already did in the first leg– has taken advantage of a possible injury to Misa to gather his players and change the approach to avoid a historic thrashing. Things haven't gone very well for him, as the visiting goalkeeper had to intervene with a double save to prevent goals from Graham and Pajor. The Polish forward, who tried everything possible, took advantage of a rebound from Misa after a great play by Vicky to, this time, score for the first time at the Camp Nou.

The Camp Nou enjoys at the rhythm of Barça

The stadium has gone wild and, with only half an hour played, the first wave has already been seen. Chants of "madridista el que no salte" (a madridista is one who doesn't jump) and support for Barça have also been heard from the first minutes of the match. Alexia was aware that it was a big day. And it is in these scenarios where she appears most. The player from Mollet has combined with Graham Hansen again, who, after getting rid of Eva Navarro, chipped the ball over Misa to score the fifth goal.

Pere Romeu has rewarded the maximum number of players possible with the entry of Salma Paralluelo and the debuts at the Camp Nou of Clara Serrajordi, Aïcha Camara, Kika Nazareth and Sydney Schertenleib. As starters, Cata Coll, Ona Batlle, Esmee Brugts, Ewa Pajor –who had played in the Wolfsburg jersey– and Pere Romeu as head coach, who had previously been an assistant, have also debuted on this stage. Precisely, Serrajordi was responsible for assisting Esmee Brugts –after a great pass from Patri Guijarro– for the 6-0.

Barça has enjoyed on and off the pitch on an afternoon that will be etched in the history books. Women's football has once again shown that it is of interest: all it takes is a firm and determined commitment like the one the blaugrana club has been making for years. Pere Romeu's team will play in the Champions League semi-finals for the eighth consecutive season, further proof of culé hegemony. The first leg will be played on April 25 or 26, while the second leg will be played on May 2 or 3. The Allianz Arena and Camp Nou, pending official confirmation, will be the ideal venues to fight for a ticket to the final in Oslo.