Barcelona advanced to the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals in dramatic fashion over Real Madrid on Wednesday. This post will be updated with the result of PSG-Bayern Munich. Here’s what went down as the first two semifinalists were determined:
FC Barcelona 5 (8), Real Madrid 2 (3)
Reigning UEFA Women’s Champions League title-holders FC Barcelona advanced to the semifinals of the 2021-22 competition on Wednesday with a wild, 5-2 victory over rivals Real Madrid in front of 91,553 fans at Camp Nou. The emphatic victory saw Barcelona advance 8-3 on aggregate after winning the first leg. The crowd is a record for a women’s professional club soccer game.
Barcelona center back Mapi Leon opened the scoring eight minutes into the match on a mi**** cross which turned into a stunning strike, but Olga Carmona scored from the penalty spot eight minutes later to get a goal back for Real Madrid. The score stayed that way — 1-1 on the day and 4-2 on aggregate — until halftime. Then came the magic.
Claudio Zornoza scored one of the best goals of the competition just three minutes after halftime to briefly give Real Madrid hope. Zornoza caught Barcelona goalkeeper Sandra Panos off her line from some 40 yards out.
UNBELIEVABLE GOAL FROM @claudiazornoza 
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid
https://t.co/g4y6urk6O0
https://t.co/ronaygfgaK pic.twitter.com/UJQEvM6ggt
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) March 30, 2022
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid
https://t.co/g4y6urk6O0 https://t.co/ronaygfgaK pic.twitter.com/UJQEvM6ggt— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) March 30, 2022
Real’s hope lasted only four minutes, however. Aitana Bonmati equalized for Barcelona, and then Claudia Pina scored a stunning goal of her own to put Barcelona ahead on the day and likely out of reach on aggregate.
Claudia Pina scores her second of these quarterfinals! And what a beautiful goal it is!#BARvRMA | 3 (6) -2 (3) | #UWCL pic.twitter.com/KiS9Ah51Jd
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) March 30, 2022
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) March 30, 2022
Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas added a fourth goal for Barcelona in the 62nd minute, and Caroline Graham Hansen finished the scoring in the 70th minute.
Barcelona will play either Arsenal or Wolfsburg in the semifinals.
The 91,553 fans on hand for the match in Barcelona bested the attendance for the 1999 Women’s World Cup final in Pasadena, California, which saw 90,185 fans witness the U.S. lift the title. Prior to the FIFA era of sanctioned women’s soccer, a women’s world championship in Mexico drew 110,000 fans to the final, in which Denmark defeated the hosts.
— Jeff Kassouf
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