Barcelona vs Brann Women's Champions League preview: Where to watch, line-ups
Thursday, March 28, 2024
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When is it? How can you watch it? What are the starting line-ups? All you need to know about the UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final second leg between Barcelona and Brann.
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Barcelona and Brann meet in the UEFA Wonen's Champions League quarter-final second leg on Thursday 28 March at Estadi Johan Cruyff.
Barcelona vs Brann at a glance
When: Thursday 28 March (18:45 CET kick-off)
Where: Estadi Johan Cruyff, Sant Joan Despí
What: UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final second leg
How to follow and watch: Build-up and a live stream from DAZN can be found here
Semi-finals: Winners vs Chelsea (20/21 & 27/28 April; Brann or Barcelona at home in first leg)
What do you need to know
Brann, having made the quarter-finals in only their second European season, held Lyon in Bergen in the group stage and came close to another draw against Barcelona before Salma Paraelluelo clinched a 2-1 first-leg win for the holders with a competition-leading sixth goal of the campaign. The home side, and goalkeeper Aurora Mikalsen in particular, made life difficult for for their visitors but now Brann face the task of being the first team to win a competitive match away to Barcelona in more than five years.
Still, Barcelona needed their stars to come to the fore in Norway, notably opening scorer Caroline Graham Hansen (who now has five goals and five assists in this European campaign) and Aitana Bonmatí, the creator of the winner. Graham Hansen kept up that form in Saturday's 3-0 win at Real Madrid that took them 12 points clear in the Spanish top flight. Mapi León is still out but Alexia Putellas could feature.
Brann's Signe Gaupset and Justine Kielland, respectively 18 and 21, caused Barcelona plenty of first-leg headaches for a team that can only qualify for next season's competition by winning this one, having finished fourth in Norway in 2023. Their weekend game against Vålerenga was moved to give them time to recover and prepare between the two legs of the Barcelona tie.
Form guide
Barcelona
Last six games: WWWWWW
Last match: Real Madrid 0-3 Barcelona, 24/03, league
Where they stand: 1st in Liga F, Copa de la Reina final
Brann
Last six games: LLWWDL
Last match: Brann 1-2 Barcelona, 20/03, Women's Champions League quarter-final first leg
Where they stand: 9th in Toppserien
Where to watch
Streaming platform DAZN is removing its paywall to the largest portfolio of women's football worldwide, including the UEFA Women's Champions League. This will drive audience growth and provide a new global home for women's football, offering greater access to games, content and the international women's football community.
Selected matches are also streamed free on DAZN's YouTube channel throughout the world with the exception of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – where rights include clips and highlights – and China and its territories.
The YouTube stream will also be embedded in the UEFA.com MatchCentres and on UEFA.tv for selected UEFA Women's Champions League games, including Barcelona vs Brann, with highlights to follow at midnight CET.
Starting line-ups
Barcelona: Cata Coll; Bronze, Paredes, Engen, Rolfö; Bonmatí, Walsh, Alexia Putellas; Graham Hansen, Brugts, Caldentey
Misses next match if booked: Batlle
Brann: Mikalsen; Stenevik, Østenstad, Tynnilä; Kvamme, Kielland, Haugland, Lund; Gaupset, Engesvik; Crummer
Misses next match if booked: Crummer
View from the camps
Jonatan Giráldez, Barcelona coach: "We have scored plenty of goals and if we are able to produce a similar outcome, we would have a great chance of going through. Brann are are brave and aggressive in defence. It will be similar to the first leg.
"For me the key is consistency. There is very few teams in the world capable of being this consistent."
Martin Ho, Brann coach: "We have a good chance to progress, because we feel that we had opportunities in the first match where we could have done better with the ball. We have to make sure we are relentless when we get the chance."
Salma Paralluelo, Barcelona forward: "Playing here is a privilege, it is in situations like this that you can realise your maximum potential."
Cecilie Redisch Kvamme, Brann captain: "Right now this is a match we are really looking forward to, especially because of the result we got last week which means that there is still life in the tie. We go in with the goal of winning. You always do that when you play."
Where is the 2024 UEFA Women's Champions League final being played?
San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao will stage the 2024 Women's Champions League final on Saturday 25 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.
The 50,000-plus capacity home of Bilbao's Athletic Club was built on the site of the old San Mamés, replacing the 100-year-old arena of the same name in 2013. Athletic Club women's team have played several games in the new stadium, attracting 48,121 fans for a 2019 cup tie against Atlético de Madrid, at the time a Spanish record.