Barça women’s team already know their roadmap to try to become UEFA Women’s Champions League champions once again. The road ahead isn’t as easy as it seems, as they will face one of the revelations in the next round: SK Brann. The Catalans are the favourites to lift the title despite all the injuries they have to contend with.
Reigning champions and sweeping away everything in their path. FC Barcelona are having an almost perfect season and want to continue in the same vein in this final stretch. The blaugranas are playing their best football, with plenty of goals and the whole squad playing a leading role. The level of Engen at centre-back, Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmatí, Mariona Caldentey, Hansen and Salma Paralluelo is no surprise to anyone, but what they do on the pitch every game is still huge.
Barça’s numbers are crazy and they seem invincible: they have 45 points in the league after winning all 15 games they have played, with 69 goals scored and three conceded. In the Super Cup they beat Real Madrid in the semi-final (4-0) and thrashed Levante in the final (7-0). Their last match was in the Queen’s Cup, where they beat Sevilla in the quarter-finals (8-0).
In the Champions League, they also finished top and unbeaten in the group stage. Drawn in Group A, they took 16 points from six games. They scored 27 goals and conceded only five, four against Benfica in the only game they drew in the season. Now, in the quarter-finals, they will face SK Brann of Norway.
SK Brann are the Norwegian league champions and this is only their second European appearance. Barça seems to has been quite lucky in the draw because, a priori, it is the most affordable rival of those remaining. This team is characterised by its intensity and great ball control. Andrine Hegerberg and Justine Kielland are their top stars, the latter having scored against Lyon in their two encounters.
The tie will be a real duel for possession. With a two-legged tie and the second leg in Barcelona, there should be no surprises in this tie. However, the first leg in Bergen won’t be easy, as Olympique Lyon drew there in the group stage.
The Norwegian side qualified for the quarter-finals after finishing second in Group B (four wins, one draw and one defeat). Lyon were top of that group and the only team they couldn’t beat.
The draw has been very positive for the blaugranas, as they have avoided their biggest rivals, Olympique Lyon, until the final. If they go through, they would face Ajax or Chelsea in the semi-finals. The Dutch are one of the surprises of this edition, while the Londoners have one of the best squads in the world. Without Sam Kerr due to injury, but with the signing of Mayra Ramírez. They are hungry for revenge and are the favourites in their match.
The quarter-final ties will be played on 19/20 and 27/28 March: Brann – FC Barcelona, Benfica – Lyon, Ajax – Chelsea and Hacken – PSG. The semi-finals will be played on 20/21 and 27/28 April, between the winners of the first and third ties (Brann-Barça vs Ajax-Chelsea), and between the winners of the second and fourth ties (Benfica-Lyon vs Hacken-PSG).
The final will be very special, as it is on Spanish soil. This title will be played in San Mamés (Bilbao) on Saturday 25 May. Playing the final at home is an added incentive for FC Barcelona to continue advancing in the knockout rounds, as they are the only surviving team in the competition.
It might seem that the absence of players such as Mapi León, Jana Fernández, Alexia Putellas and the sale of Oshoala could severely affect the team’s performance, but they are all adapting perfectly. Jona Giráldez has hit the nail on the head: her experiments are working well and the youngsters are making the most of their opportunities.
This could be a great year for Barça, who once again seem to be aiming to win as many titles as possible.
Translated by Marcos Rodríguez.
Main image: @FCBfemeni.
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