Hi community!
Barça is at its best in the Champions League and returns to Germany with a 4-1 lead for the return leg.
Who would have imagined it eleven years ago, when Barça and Wolfsburg faced off in the Champions League, and the Germans shut down the Catalans? This time, the roles were completely reversed, and Barça displayed their dominance on German soil. Own goals from Dijkstra, Paredes, Salma, and Schertenleib reflected the superiority seen on the pitch, although Minge's late goal somewhat marred Barça's perfect performance.
https://www.fcbarcelona.es/es/futbol/femenino-a/noticias/4235617/wolfsburg-barca-paso-de-gigante-1-4
And Barça made it look easy. The Blaugrana dominated from the start. They enjoyed over 60% possession and were almost completely in Wolfsburg's half, but even so, chances were slow to come. It wasn't until the 21st minute that Pajor had the first chance with a header that Borbe could reach.
With Barça lurking in the opponent's box, Graham found Aitana in space with a delightful pass, and the Ballon d'Or winner passed back to look for Pajor's shot. However, Dijkstra was the one who put the ball in her own net in an attempt to prevent the Polish player from scoring. The score was 0-1, but it could have been greater if Pajor had taken advantage of a clear one-on-one, in which she was too uncompromising and tried to find Salma, but was unsuccessful.
Coming out of the locker room, Wolfsburg opened up, but were unable to change the script of the match. In just eight minutes, Irene Paredes, first from Mapi's cross, and then Salma, finishing a textbook counterattack that bounced off Minge, made it 3-0, confirming the difference in level between the two teams.
From then on, Pere Romeu made changes to the bench, bringing on Rolfö and Engen, so the four former Wolfsburg players, along with Pajor and Graham, were on the pitch together. These changes reaffirmed Barça's dominance on the pitch, although the only negative aspect came with Wolfsburg's only shot on target. Minge, completely alone after a corner, made it 3-1.
But the match was far from over, and the most beautiful goal of the quarterfinals was yet to come. Sydney Schertenleib curled a beautiful shot into the top corner to make it 4-1 after just five minutes on the pitch. The Swiss came on for Alexia, received a yellow card, and showcased all her talent in less than ten minutes of play, proving that she remains Barça's future, but is increasingly present.
With the Swiss's final goal, Barça got off to a good start in these crucial seven days. Having passed the first test, the next round will be on Sunday the 23rd, at 12:00 PM, when Montjuic hosts El Clásico. Later, Barça will decide their place in the Champions League semifinals. On Thursday, March 27th, also at 6:45 PM, Barça will host Wolfsburg.
Accustomed to competing for everything, the Germans are fading away each year. In Germany, they've ceded their dominance to Bayern Munich and, eliminated from the Pokal and six points behind Munich in the league, are facing their first clean sheet since the 2011/12 season.
See You soon!