Pere Romeu adds a new goalscorer to his (long) list

BarcelonaVictory, a clean sheet and rest for several players. Pere Romeu's game plan at Alavés' stadium worked to perfection. Barça won convincingly at Mendizorrotza and continues with a perfect record of victories in the Liga F (0-6). Carolina Ferrera, at just 16 years old, debuted as a goalscorer and joins the long list of young footballers that Pere Romeu has given a debut to –and who have scored– in the two-plus years he has been on the blaugrana bench. Graham Hansen, Sydney Schertenleib and Claudia Pina –with a hat trick– also found the back of the net.

With sights set on the Champions League debut –Wednesday the 23rd against Paris FC at the Johan Cruyff stadium at 9 PM–, the Catalan coach was not afraid to make rotations. Starting in goal, where Gemma Font took the place of Cata Coll who did not travel to Vitoria due to a technical decision, and continuing through the defense –with Lúa Arufe at left-back– and the midfield, where Carolina Ferrera, from the reserve team, started. Claudia Pina, Kika Nazareth, Esmee Brugts and Clara Serrajordi –now recovered from her injury– waited for their moment on the bench.

Opening large stadiums in the Liga F usually has two very different perspectives. On one hand, it is to be celebrated that clubs like Alavés commit to playing all their matches at Mendizorrotza. However, seeing a good part of the stands empty in a stadium that holds nearly 20,000 people leaves a poor television image of the match. Attendance is one of the great points for improvement in the competition.

Sydney takes the necessary step forward

The match started with great intensity for both teams. Barça wanted to set the pace and control, while Alavés pressed and looked to counterattack as quickly as possible. An equality that lasted only a few minutes. The quality of the blue and reds appeared quickly with an excellent touch by Patri Guijarro in the midfield –to control an aerial ball– before combining with Graham Hansen, who did not miss for the 0-1.

The Catalans, who know how to accelerate the game when necessary, began to pen Alavés in their own area and Sofía Fuente, one of the most outstanding goalkeepers in this start of the competition, once again demonstrated her quality on the pitch. She could do nothing, however, to prevent the goal by Sydney Schertenleib, who finished off a corner taken by Graham Hansen and a great assist from Ewa Pajor. The Swiss footballer –who after playing as a winger, a pivot, and an interior midfielder, now stands out as a full-back on the right wing– once again had a great game. She was one of the players who had to step up this season, and, for the moment, she is doing so.

But Barça was not satisfied with that. Pere Romeu requested a VAR review for a possible penalty on Carolina Ferrera –one of the surprises in the starting eleven–, but the referee did not consider it punishable. Another review lost by the Catalan coach, who rarely manages to change the initial decision of the referee. It did not matter to the Canary Island midfielder, who shortly after took advantage of a rebound at the edge of the area –once again, in a corner kick action– to debut as a goalscorer with a great shot from the edge of the area.

A Blaugrana gale, which did not stop in the second half with three goals from Claudia Pina: the first after a pass from Ewa Pajor, the second with a great shot from the midfield line to beat an advanced Sofía Fuente, and the third with an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area. A match that also served to see the debut of Clara Serrajordi this season, now recovered from the fracture of the styloid process of the right radius that she suffered during the training camp with the Spanish under-20 national team.