Barça 7-0 Levante: Super victory!
Barça have retained the Spanish Super Cup! They did it for the third year in a row and the victims this time were Levante. And they did it in style, running out 7-0 winners, following on from the 4-0 defeat of Real Madrid in the semis. Super Cups require super performances, and that's exactly what we got!!
Salma sets things off
It wasn't all plain sailing through, and an early error from Cata Coll almost caused an own goal had Ingrid Engen not come rushing to the rescue. Levante were clearly intent on springing a surprise and attacked Barça without inhibition, and it took a goal from Salma Paralluelo, who already netted two in the semi-final, to finally settle the blaugrana nerves.
Floodgates open
But once they had got things rolling, there was no stopping Barça. They piled on the pressure and Graham Hansen, who had assisted the first goal, then got her own name on the second after 24 minutes, and almost immediately from the restart, Ona Batlle was on the end of a Paralluelo assist to make it 3-0.
Aitana magic
Those three goals meant this game already looked decided before the first half was even up, but Barça were hungry for more. After 36 minutes, the incredible understanding between Aitana and Graham Hansen bore fruit yet again as the former set up the latter with a magnificent pass. But there was a fifth goal to come, and still in the first half!
It was another Ona Batlle-Salma pairing, but this time the other way around. There was the Aragonese player at the far post, and that was 5-0 on the stroke of half time.
Hansen hat-trick
Graham Hansen completed her hat trick to make it 6-0 on 54 minutes. All that was missing was goal from Aitana. And we finally got that just two minutes later. Ona Batlle assisted, the best player on the planet converted, and that was 7-0.
One would have imagined that there were more goals to come, but as it turned out there weren't. But seven were already far more than enough, and when time finally blew, that was yet another Super Cup for a team that fits the 'super' bill in every possible way!
MATCH STATS
Barça: 7
Levante: 0
Barça: Cata Coll; Bronze, Paredes (Martina Fernández 46'), Engen, Batlle; Walsh, Patri Guijarro (Pina 64'), Aitana (Bruna 79'); Graham Hansen (Vicky 64'), Mariona i Salma Paralluelo (Oshoala 64').
Levante: Holmgren; Lloris, Méndez, Mendoza, Tomás (Antonia 58'); Sosa (Arqués 58'), Baños (Torroda 70'), Paula Fernández, Andonova; Alba Redondo (Erika González 70') i Mayra (Gabi Nunes 58').
Goals: 1-0, Salma Paralluelo (min. 12); 2-0, Caroline Graham Hansen, (min. 24); 3-0, Ona Batlle (min. 26); 4-0, Caroline Graham Hansen (min. 36); 5-0, Salma Paralluelo (min. 45+2); 6-0, Caroline Graham Hansen (min. 54); 7-0, Aitana Bonmatí (min. 57).