Barça finds the goal in the most unexpected way

BarcelonaMarta Torrejón was the only player yet to find the net this season. The defender from Mataró was the only registered first-team player—aside from goalkeepers Cata Coll and Gemma Font—who hadn't scored. Her goal came in the most unexpected way possible, after a cross that initially found no one and ended up in the back of the net, unlocking a match that was becoming increasingly difficult for Barça. Alexia Putellas then scored the second goal in the imposing Riazor stadium to secure a 2-0 victory for Deportivo.

If last Thursday the nemesis was María Valenzuela, in A Coruña it was Inês Pereira. The Deportivo goalkeeper was the standout player, making several saves to prevent Barça's first goal. Pere Romeu's team dominated and attacked, but shots from Irene Paredes and Martine Fenger were deflected by Pereira. The Galician side, for their part, tried their luck with some long-range efforts and long balls behind the Catalan center-backs. Gemma Font, very alert, prevented any potential danger from Deportivo, who didn't give up on pressing high up the pitch. Martine Fenger started for the second time for Barça, but she couldn't open her scoring account. Sydney Schertenleib also failed to find the net – her shot with the goalkeeper advanced went wide – as did Salma Paralluelo, who couldn't capitalize on a mistake in the Galician team's build-up play. The Aragonese winger also had a chance to open the scoring, but her header hit the post. Barça kept trying, but Pereira proved a tough nut to crack.

Faced with this situation, Pere Romeu went all out. Graham Hansen, Ewa Pajor, and Alexia Putellas entered the pitch to inject more energy. And it worked. Barça found more space, and Hansen caused problems down the right flank. It was precisely from a cross by the Norwegian – which Salma couldn't quite reach – that the first goal of the match came. Torrejón picked up the ball at the far post and delivered a cross, which Sydney and Pajor also failed to connect with, and the ball ended up going in after hitting the post. Pere Romeu's team found the net – which was validated after a lengthy VAR review for a possible offside – in the most absurd way, but these goals count just like the others.

The Catalan coach wanted to finish the game off and brought on Claudia Pina and Kika Nazareth—changes that had been planned before Torrejón's goal. The pace didn't let up, and the second goal soon followed. Hansen delivered another cross—a bit of a slip, in part—which Alexia capitalized on to seal the victory with a 2-0 lead. Barça secured the three points at Riazor, maintaining their lead and a 10-point advantage over second-placed Real Madrid, who beat Real Sociedad 3-0 on Saturday.