Vicky and Caro guarantee a good sum for Barça

BarcelonaBarça has once again proven itself to be a profitable section. Winning in Paris was almost more crucial for the club's finances than for sporting reasons, where, barring a virtually impossible combination of results, their excellent work beforehand had already practically secured their place in the quarterfinals. Be that as it may, Pere Romeu's team has done the job again, concluding a near-perfect Champions League group stage: five wins and a draw away to Chelsea. The final victory, a 2-0 win in Paris thanks to goals from Vicky López and Graham Hansen, consolidated their first-place position in Europe.

This strong performance will see Barça pocket just over one million euros in this first phase of the competition. The Blaugrana had already secured €505,000 simply for participating. In addition, the five wins and the draw – along with finishing first in their group – add another half a million euros to the Catalan club's coffers. From a sporting perspective, it will allow them to play the second leg of the quarterfinals and the semifinals at home, with the possibility of playing at Camp Nou looming. The men's first team doesn't play in Barcelona on either of those two weekends, giving us even more reason to be optimistic about the women's team's debut at the new Barça stadium.

A new challenge completed

Barça Women continue to break records. While it may be surprising, the Catalan side still has challenges to overcome. One of them was to win for the first time on French soil. The Blaugrana had visited France four times without success. After three defeats and a draw, they finally achieved their first victory. It had to be against Paris FC – the first time the two clubs had ever faced each other – on the final matchday of the Champions League group stage.

After a couple of scares from the home side, well dealt with by Cata Coll, the Blaugrana demonstrated their quality on the Jean Bouin pitch. Aïcha Camara and Laia Aleixandri tested the defense with shots blocked, while Irene Paredes hit the post with a chipped corner from Mapi León. Finally, it was a combination between Claudia Pina – recently renewed until 2029 – and Vicky López that broke the deadlock. The Madrid native, who gained significant prominence following Aitana Bonmatí's injury, found the net for the second consecutive match, while Graham Hansen capitalized on the space conceded by the opposing defense to make it 2-0 early in the second half. Alexia Putellas's late goal, making it 3-0, was disallowed for offside, and Pere Romeu continued to give players their European debuts. This time it was Lúa Arrufe's turn.

With the game already decided – Barça had first place and Paris had already qualified for the play-offsThe pace has slowed, and not much has happened. The Blaugrana are proving they are ready to reign supreme in Europe once again and continue to make history across the continent. For the eleventh consecutive season, the Barça crest will be in the quarter-final draw, a stage they have progressed through eight times. The road to Oslo continues, and this Thursday (1 p.m.) the final bracket will be revealed. Real Madrid, Juventus, Wolfsburg, and Paris FC are among the Catalan side's potential opponents.