Barcelona 5 - 2 (8-3 agg.) Real Madrid summary: scores, stats and highlights, Women's Champions League
Barcelona 5-2 Real Madrid: as it happened
Barcelona - Real Madrid: headlines
- Hansen puts the tie beyond doubt with close-range strike
- Reigning Ballon d'Or Alexia Putellas makes it 4-2 on the night
- Aitana and Pina strike back quickly to hand advantage back to the home side
- Zornoza puts Madrid ahead on the night with sensational strike
- Olga Carmona levels for Real Madrid from the spot
- Mapi León puts the home side ahead with long-range effort
Barcelona 5-2 Madrid (8-3 on aggregate): summary
A world record crowd attended the Champions League game between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Wednesday, the final tally of spectators (91,553) beating the previous record for a women's game at the World Cup final between the USWNT and China in 1999. And what a show the masses were treated to, Barça slapping their credentials as the best club side in the world on the table in emphatic fashion, Barça carving through a Madrid team that is still a work in progress 5-2 on the night and 8-3 on aggregate.
An early goal from Mapi León set Barça on their way to the last four, but Madrid showed character to get back into the tie against a side that has not been beaten this season, Olga Carmona and a Claudia Zornoza wonder-strike giving the visitors the lead early in the second half and at the same time making Madrid the first side to put two past Barça at Camp Nou since Sevilla in 2019.
As if recalling that slight, Barça simply moved effortlessly into a gear that Madrid's fledgling side could not hope to match with three goals in 10 minutes via Aitana, Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas. Caroline Hansen completed the rout as Camp Nou celebrated wildly to send reigning champions Barça into a semi-final match up against either Wolfsburg or Arsenal, who meet tomorrow.
Both sets of player acknowledge the fans in Camp Nou, aware that this was a historic night for the game regardless of the result.
REUTERS/Albert Gea
And there's the whistle! Barça ease into the semi-finals of the Champions League with a crushing 8-3 aggregate victory over Real Madrid.
Two minutes added!
Alexia goes into the book for a dive in the area, according to Frappart.
Barcelona still want more and continue to push forward. Madrid are really just waiting for the whistle now.
Barcelona - Real Madrid breaks world attendance record
It's official! The attendance in Camp Nou today is a new world record for a women's football game, with 91,553 spectators in the stadium, beating the previous mark of 90,185 set at the World Cup final between the USA and China in 1999.
Möller! Nahikari breaks forward and puts the Dane in but she smashes her shot over the bar from inside the area.
Madrid have more or less lost all hope here and it's not difficult to see why: Barça have been in complete control throughout and when they were briefly threatened, the home side simply responded with more goals.
Svava and Peters off for Madrid, Kenti Robles and Rocío Gálvez on.
Jenni Hermoso twists and turns on the right and sends a cross to the far side. It takes a deflection and falls perfectly for the Norwegian, who slams home from close range!
Gooooooooooooooooooool! Hansen!
Pina! Barça are in ruthless mode now as Madrid's belief crumbles and the forward flashes a shot just wide of Misa's far post.
Caroline Möller and Nahikari García on for Madrid.
That's eight goals in seven Champions League matches for Alexia this season. Camp Nou is bouncing!
The Ballon d'Or drives into the area, feints, shoots and bangs a shot past Misa to make it 7-3 on aggregate! The Camp Nou erupts in chants of "Alexia, Alexia" and that you fancy is that for Madrid's chances here.
Goooooooooooooooool! Alexia!
What a game this is, and what an atmosphere in Camp Nou, where pending official confirmation it's a world record attendance for a women's football game. Xavi Hernández is also in attendance and may be warming Giráldez's ear tomorrow.
The Barça forward picks up the ball on the left, lifts her head and picks her spot, curling an unstoppable shot past Misa to make it 3-2 on the night and 6-3 on aggregate!
Goooooooooooooooooool! Pina!
The perfect response from Barça's point of view as Hermoso finds Aitana on the run. The winger takes a couple of touches, leaves her marker chasing dust and hammers a low shot past Misa!
Gooooooooooooooool! Aitana!
Madrid are right back in this now, and have done something no side has done since 2019: scored twice against Barcelona at Camp Nou.
The Madrid midfielder picks up the ball almost on the halfway line, has a quick look to see where Paños is, and bangs it in over the keeper's head! Incredible!
Goooooooooooooooooool! Claudia Zornoza! What a hit!
We're back underway at Camp Nou! No changes at half time.
"More than empowerment"
A huge mural was unfurled at Camp Nou, where the attendance is not far from a sell-out.
And there's the whistle! An entertaining half in Barcelona draws to a close and Real Madrid are still very much in this tie. Barça had their chances to put the game out of reach in the opening 45 but a combination of missed chances and Madrid's solid central defenders has left this one wide open.
Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images
Hansen sends a long range free kick into the stands, and apologises to Alexia, who was looking for something else. One minute added in Camp Nou.
Hermoso is on the end of another reducer, this time from Madrid captain Ivana Andrés, who earns herself a ticking off from Frappart.
Aitana gets away on the right and feeds Hansen but her attempted cross whacks Teresa, hits the Norwegian and pops out for a goal kick.
Rolfö sends in another low cross and Madrid clear again. However strong the visitors are in the middle of the back four, Barça's wide players have the run of the pitch at the moment.
Problems for Barça as Jenni Hermoso goes down again. She has been through the ringer this half and Giráldez will hope her foot holds out after that challenge by Peter.
Another dangerous Barça break at the feet of Hansen but Madrid manage to hack Rolfö's cross from the right away. The visitors are not threatening much at the far end of the pitch but they are frustrating the hosts for now.
Rolfö! The Sweden forward meets it in the middle of the area but can't keep her header down.
Jenni Hermoso goes down in agony under a hefty challenge from Babett Peter. Free kick to Barça and this will be sent into the area.
Hansen! Barça break to the other end and Alexia finds the Norwegian with a lovely cross-field ball but she flashes her shot high from just inside the area.
Athenea is sent sprinting down the right for a long ball but Paredes reads it perfectly and charges across with a crunching tackle that has Camp Nou on its feet.
Patri Guijarro attempts to put Hermoso through but the ball is a little heavy. Madrid are defending well but it's hardly comfortable for the visitors at the moment.
The scene outside Camp Nou as the Barça team bus arrived.
Alexia! The ball finds its way to the Ballon d'Or on the edge of the area but she sends her shot over.
Rolfö goes down in the area under minimal contact but Frappart is having none of that .
Gooooooooooooool! Carmona goes low to the left of Sandra Paños and the ball wriggles under the grasp of the Barça keeper! Madrid back in the tie!
Carmona herself steps up to take under a barrage of jeers from the stands.
Penalty! Carmona tries her luck on a rare Madrid foray forward and Paredes handles in the area!
Hansen takes but it's straight into the wall. The Norway international gets a second bite of the cherry but it's blocked again.
Lucía into the book for chopping down Claudia Pina and Barça have a very dangerous looking free kick...
That early strike has Camp Nou in full voice and the home side come again, Misa this time plucking a Graham cross from the air.
The Spain defender looks to pick out a forward with a searching cross but it flies over the head of a static Misa Rodríguez and into the back of the net!
Goooooooooooooooooool! Mapi León!
The home side are in control in the early exchanges, Madrid pinned back in their own half. Good work from Graham on the Barça right and it's another corner.
Real Madrid have quite the task this afternoon - Barça have not lost a game all season. To give an idea of how strong this side is, Atlético Madrid are often their closest domestic challengers. They were thrashed 7-0 in the Supercopa final in January.
Mapi León jumps on a weak clearance but sees her shot blocked.
We're off! And Barça immediately win a corner.
We have refereeing royalty today as well in Stéphanie Frappart, who was the first woman to officiate in Ligue 1, the Champions League and the World Cup qualifiers.
Real Madrid: player to watch
Madrid don't enjoy quite the same depth in their squad as Barça as a relatively new side and in the absence of Asllani one player to keep an eye on is 21-year-old Spain forward Athenea del Castillo, who has nine caps and three international goals already.
Barcelona: player to watch
Barça have a star-studded squad and even in the absence of Nehterlands star Lieke Martens it's quite a side at Giráldez's disposal today. Naturally all eyes will be on Alexia Putellas, the Ballon d'Or holder who is widely regarded as the best player in the world.
The warm-ups are underway and there's a huge cheer for the home side as they go through their paces. Only about 15 until kick-off now and the atmospehere is building in Camp Nou.
FC Barcelona usually play at the Estadio Johan Cruyff at the club's training complex, which has a capacity of 6,000. It looks like there'll be lot more than that in Camp Nou for this one with the stadium filling up nicely ahead of kick off.
Barça's dressing room is ready to go and with the home side in their traditional claret and blue, we assume the visitors will be in white, as Clásicos should be played.
For a recap of the previous leg, look no further than our minute-by-minute coverage of the match from the Alfredo di Stéfano.
A bumper turn out is expected at Camp Nou today for the Clásico and the home team's fans were out in force to welcome the side as they arrived at the stadium.
Real Madrid starting XI confirmed
There is no Kosovare Asllani for Madrid today so much of the attacking responsibility will fall on Spain forward Athenea del Castillo, a lightning quick player who was a summer signing from Deportivo. Olga Carmona, scorer of Madrid's goal in the reverse leg, and Esther González round out the attacking line.
Barcelona starting XI confirmed
Jonatan Giráldez's starting XI is a star-studded affair with Caroline Graham Hansen, Jenni Hermoso and Claudia Pina leading the line. Putellas and Aitana will provide the trickery from midfield.
Barcelona are the reigning European champions and will look to advance to the semi-finals today, where they face either Wolfsburg or Arsenal. The other quarter-finalists are Bayern Munich, PSG, Juventus and Lyon.
Barça hold a commanding 3-1 aggregate lead after the opening leg in Madrid, Ballon d’Or holder Alexia Putellas (2) and Claudia Pina cancelling out Olga Carmona’s opener in the Alfredo di Stefano.
Hello and welcome to AS USA’s live coverage of the Women’s Champions League Clásico quarter-final between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Kick-off this afternoon is at 18:45 local time.