The pearls of La Masia give a new league to Barça

Sant Adrià de Besòs"The extraordinary thing is that it seems normal." With this slogan, Barça celebrated the men's league in the 2018-19 season. The team then led by Ernesto Valverde had just won their eighth league title in eleven seasons. At that time, the first women's team only had four league titles to their name. Since then, the blaugranes have been crowned champions of the domestic competition in the next seven seasons and now have eleven league titles. The latest one, this Wednesday after beating Espanyol 1-4 away. With more than ten points ahead of Real Madrid and with four matchdays left to finish the competition, Barça already has the second trophy of the season in their trophy cabinet, after the Spanish Super Cup.

Pere Romeu has all eyes on the Champions League semifinals. On Saturday at 6:15 PM, the Catalans will play the first leg at the Allianz Arena. The coach has presented a lineup full of rotations —with Alexia, Patri, Ona, Mapi, Pina, and Pajor, among others, on the bench— in which Rosalía Domínguez has enjoyed her first start with the first team of the Blaugrana. Pere Romeu continues to pull rabbits out of his hat and has debuted a new player who has left great impressions in her first minutes in Liga F.

Despite the rotations, Barça came out with very clear ideas and the objective of certifying the championship title. It had only been two minutes when Carla Julià —with a past at white-and-blue— surprised everyone with the first goal of the match after a great play by Graham Hansen, who found the Barcelona full-back alone on the left wing. The dominance was Blaugrana, however, nothing can be celebrated until it's in the bag and well tied. A lesson that Espanyol has taken care to remember. Faced with the shouts and support of the perica fans, Browne provoked a penalty —committed by Marta Torrejón— and Laia Ballesté took care of converting it to tie the match.

But the joy was short-lived again at the Ciutat Esportiva Dani Jarque. Practically on the next play, Clara Serrajordi created a pass to overcome two lines of pressure and combine with Graham Hansen, who did not miss against Romane Salvador. Espanyol, bravely, persistently sought to approach Cata Coll's goal —with two chances for Browne saved by the Balearic goalkeeper—, but the decisive goal came from Barça. A new action on the left wing by Carla Julià —very insistent throughout the match— to connect with Martine Fenger, who scored again for the second consecutive match.

To Munich with the league in the bag

With the match already decided, Pere Romeu has started activating players for the match next Saturday in Munich. Alexia Putellas, Claudia Pina and Patri Guijarro —who the club initially announced would be out with an ankle sprain— have come on to get some game time before the Champions League tie. There was still time to celebrate another goal after a new cross from Carla Julià, which Fenger finished to score her third goal with the blaugrana jersey.

Barça continues to dominate the international scene: seven leagues, five Copa de la Reina (with the option to win a sixth on May 16th against Atlètic de Madrid) and six Supercopa de Espanya in the last seven seasons. During this period, the blaugranes have only lost two state titles. Pere Romeu wins his second league, while Alexia Putellas already has ten in her record. On the other hand, Laia Aleixandri, Adriana Ranera, Aïcha Camara, Carla Julià, Martine Fenger, Rosalía Domínguez, Laia Martret, Ainoa Gómez and María Llorella already have their first league title. Clara Serrajordi, for her part, wins her second, as she had minutes last season.