“It is the moment to write a new history together”

Saint John of DespíThere are matches marked in red on the calendar, and this Sunday's is one of them. Barça Women return to the Camp Nou to host Real Madrid in a Liga F Clásico (17:00, DAZN) that is weather-dependent due to the risk of storms in Catalonia. "Rain makes for very frantic matches," says Pere Romeu. The 'Blaugranes' return to the stadium with the desire and excitement to achieve a new victory. "It is special to play at the Camp Nou, it excites me. The fans always help us a lot," assures Ewa Pajor a few hours before playing the match.

So far, more than 40,000 tickets have been sold for a duel that all parties describe as "very special". "We are very prepared for the match at our home," admits the Polish forward. It will be the tenth time that Barça Women play at the Camp Nou (fifteenth if we count the matches played at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium).

A clear commitment to the women's team that has paid off on the pitch, but also in the stands. The blue and garnet entity holds the world attendance record for a women's football match with 91,648 people. It was on April 22, 2022, against Wolfsburg. "When they cheer us on and shout for every goal, you can feel it. When you are playing, you are focused on the team, but the fans are always the twelfth player," describes Clara Serrajordi, who will just be playing her third match at the Les Corts stadium.

“It is a very big stadium and we know what was done at the previous Camp Nou. It is time to write a new history together. I really enjoy it when we can play there because there are always a lot of people and that helps us. I am really looking forward to it,” expresses Esmee Brugts, who already knows what it is like to score at the Camp Nou. The Dutch full-back was one of the scorers in the last Clásico, in which the blaugranas won 6-0 and qualified for the Champions League semi-finals.

Another of the players who also scored that day was Ewa Pajor, who repeated it a month later against Bayern Munich (4-2). “It is very special. I always want to help the team and scoring in this stadium, for this team and for these fans is very special,” she recalls. On the other hand, someone who hopes to experience this feeling is Clara Serrajordi, who after debuting as a goalscorer in the Champions League, now wants to score her first goal at the Camp Nou, and in a classic. “It is always a dream, but we have to work as a team to play a great match”.

On the other side of the pitch is the work of Cata Coll, who will seek to keep a clean sheet. “It is my goal. If I achieve it, I know we have more chances of winning. Sometimes it is complicated, but it is my responsibility,” she points out. Against Bayern, the last match the blue and reds played at the Camp Nou, she put on a display with very meritorious saves. “You feel like a superstar because of all the people there and the commotion you feel. It makes it special and you feel euphoria, but it is time to control your emotions to be 100% focused and help the team,” she recounts.

Barça seeks to open a gap in the league

Separated by only two points in the standings, the 'blaugranes' want to continue dominating the 'Clásicos'. So far, both teams have faced each other 27 times (counting the two matches in which Real Madrid played under the name CD Tacón), with a balance of 26 Catalan victories and only one for Madrid. Furthermore, the overall goal count shows a great difference; Barça has scored 107 (an average of four per game), while the 'blanques' have only scored thirteen goals. “It is a very cool match to play; at the Camp Nou and against Real Madrid, there is nothing more to say. We have a special excitement, but above all, we want the three points to be five ahead of them,” confesses Cata Coll in the media session.

Despite some precedents that invite optimism, all parties warn of the dangers of Pau Quesada's team. “Every year they are better and more competitive. We expect a very intense match. Madrid always plays very quickly, with many counterattacks and we have to be careful with that,” describes Ewa Pajor. “They have made very good signings and have a very good team. They are playing very well and have a lot of confidence, but we are also heading in the right direction,” adds the goalkeeper from the Balearic Islands, who also highlights her team's growth. “We have gone from less to more and that is being noticed. All the players are connected to give 100% and on Sunday we will surely play a perfect game to beat them”.

To achieve this, one of the keys will be to be solid in defense. “I joke sometimes, but the less they get to me, the better. It means the team is defending and attacking well and that we are scoring,” explains Cata Coll. “I have been used to not being tested as much for years, but against Madrid it will be different. They have a very good attack and we have to be very attentive defensively. If we play our game and with our DNA, we will play a complete match to be able to win,” she analyzes.

Another of the keys will be the mentality. "The team is aware that it has to do things perfectly to get a good result. Mentality is what makes the difference between being at the very top or not. You can play well and have talent, but if you don't have the necessary mentality to face big stages, play in front of a lot of fans, people who can criticize or whistle at you..., it is difficult to be successful in the world of football, where the level is so high," states Pere Romeu.

The coach also points out that they will encounter a different Real Madrid than last year's. "They opt for having more control of the ball and longer possessions. They can continue to be vertical, but they have players to control the tempo of the match," reviews the coach, who will not be able to count on Laia Aleixandri, Kika Nazareth, or Vicky López.