The women's classic at the Camp Nou is postponed until 19.00 hours

Saint Joan DespíThere are matches that are marked on the calendar in red, and this Sunday's is one of them. The Barça women's team returns to the Camp Nou to host Real Madrid (19:00 hours, DAZN), but is keeping an eye on the sky due to the risk of storms in Catalonia. The match, which was supposed to be played at 17:00 hours, has been postponed by two hours due to the forecast of extreme rain and the risk of flooding. The blue and red club had requested the postponement from the League, which finally ended up granting it. The Catalan entity reminds that it is possible to access the stadium with small, foldable umbrellas, while long, rigid umbrellas are not allowed in accordance with current safety regulations.

The blaugranes return to the stadium with the desire and enthusiasm to achieve a new victory. “It is special to play at the Camp Nou; it moves me. The fans always help us a lot,” assures Ewa Pajor. 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 the Barça women's team plays at the Camp Nou (fifteenth if we count the matches played at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium).

A clear commitment to women's football that has borne fruit 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 tell. When you play, 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 has been done at the previous Camp Nou. It is time to write a new history together. I enjoy it a lot when we can play there because there are always many people and that helps us. I am very much looking forward to it,” says Esmee Brugts, who already knows what it is like to score at the Camp Nou. The Dutch full-back was one of the goalscorers in the last Clásico, in which the blaugranes 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 score in this stadium. For this team and for these fans, it 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 game.”

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 options to win. Sometimes it is complicated, but it is my responsibility,” she notes. Against Bayern, the last match the blaugranes played at the Camp Nou, she put on an exhibition 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 are euphoric, but it is time to control your emotions to be 100% concentrated and help the team,” she recounts.

Barça looks to open up 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 match), while the 'blancas' have only scored thirteen goals. “It’s 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 Balearic goalkeeper, 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 match to beat them.”

To achieve this, one of the keys will be to be solid in defense. “Sometimes I joke, but the less they reach me, the better. It means the team is defending and attacking well and that we are scoring,” explains Cata Coll. “I’ve been used to them not reaching me 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 have 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 scenarios, playing in front of many 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 to have more control of the ball and longer possessions. They can continue to be vertical, but they have players to control the tempo of the game," reviews the coach, who will not be able to count on Laia Aleixandri, Kika Nazareth, or Vicky López.