Barcelona 5-2 Real Madrid (8-3 agg): Holders progress with show of power

UEFA Women's Champions League holders Barcelona delighted a UEFA women's football attendance record crowd of 91,553 at Camp Nou as they came from behind to beat Real Madrid 5-2 and win their quarter-final tie 8-3 on aggregate.

Barcelona, who also recovered from one down in the first leg, now face Arsenal or Wolfsburg for a place in the Turin showpiece. Madrid end with the consolation that they became the first debutants to reach the quarter-finals since 2016/17.

Match in brief: Goal-filled Camp Nou party

The crowd of 91,553 was a UEFA women's football attendance recordAFP via Getty Images

The historic crowd were treated to some spectacular strikes from both teams, with the hosts taking an early lead through Mapi León's cross-shot. Olga Carmona calmly levelled from the spot after Irene Paredes had been penalised for handball.

The visitors were the brighter side after the restart, and took a shock lead when Claudia Zornoza's spectacular lob from distance sailed over Sandra Paños. However, the holders hit back almost straight away via Aitana Bonmatí's crisp finish.

Clàudia Pina's clever chip restored Barcelona's advantage shortly after, before Alexia Putellas and Caroline Graham Hansen made it four goals for Barça in the space of 19 minutes.

Visa Player of the Match: Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona)

Caroline Graham Hansen with her awardUEFA

"Was very involved and dynamic. An assist and a goal plus many beautiful actions."
UEFA Technical Observer panel

Graham Hunter, Barcelona reporter

It's only a year and a half since the inaugural Madrid-Barcelona women's match, and this Women's Champions League quarter-final brought their first two UEFA meetings. But after what we watched – the skill, the ambition, the media attention, the brilliant atmosphere at both legs of the tie – how have the Spanish and European game lived so long without a new source of rivalry for these clubs? This was magnificent from start to finish, and it's hard not to argue that we're watching a reigning champion ready to defend their European crown.

Alexandra Jonson, Real Madrid reporter

There wasn't much more Real Madrid could have done. In their first UEFA Women's Champions League campaign, they reached the quarter-finals and faced arguably the best team in the world. And for a moment they were 2-1 up at Camp Nou, forcing Barcelona to play at their absolute best. They put in the work, applied the pressure and gave the reigning champions a real test. It will hurt now, but these players should travel home to Madrid very proud of themselves for their showing tonight.

Reaction

Jonatan Giráldez, Barcelona coach: "What a great day this has been! We’ll remember it all our lives. The match was magical. We pressed so well without the ball. It's complicated, though, to explain all the emotions you feel on a night like this."

Alexia Putellas, Barcelona captain and goalscorer: "I'm almost speechless, honestly. This has been utterly magical. When the match finished, the fans simply didn't want to go home [...] There was such a connection between them and us while we celebrated. To hear them singing that they want to go to Turin was superb."

Alberto Toril, Madrid coach: "We competed very well. If you take into account where we have come from in our relative stages of development, the kind of player Barcelona have, and also those they were able to play without today, we can be really proud."

Madrid's lead on the night was short-livedGetty Images

Key stats

• Barcelona have now won 42 competitive games in a row, including all 37 this season.
• Barcelona kept up their perfect record against Real Madrid in seven encounters.
• Pina scored her second goal in Europe: her other was in last week's first leg.
• Alexia has eight goals in the competition this season, one behind Wolfsburg's Tabea Wassmuth.
• Having not trailed in a game since 2 October 2021 before the first leg, Barcelona have now fallen behind in their last three matches, and won them all.

Line-ups

Barcelona: Paños; Marta Torrejón (Crnogorčević 72), Paredes (Andrea Pereira 81), Mapi León, Rolfö; Bonmatí, Guijarro (Syrstad Engen 72), Alexia; Graham Hansen, Hermoso (Ouahabi 72), Pina (Serrano 81)

Real Madrid: Misa; Lucía Rodríguez, Peter (Rocío Gálvez 74), Ivana Andrés, Svava (Robles 74); Teresa Abelleira (Florentino 85), Zornoza; Athenea del Castillo, Maite Oroz, Olga Carmona (Møller 66); Esther (Nahikari García 66)