Comeback against ten and on to think about the finals

BarcelonaVictory and no injuries. This would be the summary of Barça's triumph at Tenerife's ground (1-3). Esmee Brugts, Kika Nazareth, and Claudia Pina overturned Gramaglia's initial goal on the day Patri Guijarro, Alexia Putellas, and Aitana Bonmatí returned to the starting lineup. A subdued match from Pere Romeu's team, but one that served to add three more points to an already won and celebrated League. Tenerife were reduced to ten players by the half-hour mark, and the blaugranas – always with competitive ambition and the desire to win – did not let them off the hook.

Barça visited Tenerife in their last match before the two finals that will determine the end of the season. The blaugranas will return to the Canary Islands – in this case to Gran Canaria – next week to play the Copa de la Reina final against Atlético de Madrid (May 16th at 9 PM) before traveling to Oslo for the Champions League final against Olympique de Lyon (May 23rd at 6 PM).

Pere Romeu wanted to make one last test with a lineup full of starters. Aitana Bonmatí, who played 63 quality minutes, returned to the starting lineup after her injury, and Gemma Font – in place of Cata Coll – and Salma Paralluelo – for Claudia Pina – were the only two changes from what would currently be the first-choice eleven. Vicky López also started due to Graham Hansen's injury.

The rules are clear in these cases and intent does not count

Pere Romeu's team was not the recognizable team capable of consistently attacking the opponent's goal. It wasn't with an equal number of players, nor was it when they were left with one more player after Violeta Quiles' expulsion. The local player pulled Vicky's hair when she tried to stop the Madrid player by grabbing her shirt. The referee did not see it live, but Romeu asked for a VAR review.The regulations are clear in these cases and intent does not count. Therefore, red.

Quality does not disappear

When goals don't come from open play, set pieces become even more important. And Barça has applied this on more than one occasion this season. At the Heliodoro Rodríguez López, once again. Vicky López whipped a corner to the near post and Esmee Brugts finished to equalize just before halftime. The imprecision of the blaugrana players was evident for a good part of the 90 minutes. Easy passes that didn't find their target, few filtered passes to generate dangerous chances...

But even if it wasn't one of the most fluid days, the quality didn't disappear and Patri Guijarro proved it with a millimeter-perfect cross to Kika Nazareth to complete the comeback, and Pina –already in the final stretch– sealed the match with a spectacular goal. With the score already turned around, Pere Romeu continued distributing minutes. Before, Aitana, Alexia, and Vicky had already come off to make way for Kika, Sydney, and Pina. The coach completed the five substitutions with the entrance of Carla Julià and Aïcha Camara, without problems after the discomfort that made her leave the field earlier against Levante.