Barça 4-0 Real Madrid: Super Cup final here we come!
Another win for the blaugranes in the women's football El Clásico. This time FC Barcelona v Real Madrid ended 4-0 in this Spanish Super Cup semifinal tie. Mariona (player of the match) and Salma Paralluelo both scored braces, proving thorns in the side of the all-whites, who came up short against currently the best women's team in Spain.
Two goals in quick succession
Real Madrid came out strongly, Olga Carmona and Linda Caicedo applying early pressure on Cata Coll's goal. However, Barça soon settled and assumed control as they tend to do.
The first goal came shortly afterwards, as Mariona Caldentey made the most of a mix up in the Real Madrid box after a Salma Paralluelo corner to dispatch the opener past Misa with her left foot. Just three minutes later, Salma Paralluelo was again involved, this time getting away from Ivana Paredes and Kathellen Sousa to finish a good team move and make it 2-0 after 15 minutes.
The blaugranes clearly wanted more and had the Real Madrid defence rattled, so much so that captain Ivana Andrés took down Mariona in the box. The penalty wasn't initially awarded but VAR was available for the first time in the women's Spanish Super Cup and helped clarify the situation for referee Marta Huerta. Mariona stepped up herself to hit an excellent penalty to put Barça 3-0.
There was still time for Ona Batlle to strike the crossbar from inside the box on the left but the 3-0 halftime score was a good reflection of Barça's dominance.
Salma gets a brace
Barça continued to dominate after the break, culminating in Caroline Graham sliding a great ball across the box and Salma Paralluelo sniffing out the chance to complete her own brace, scoring with a bit of an unorthodox finish past Misa to make it 4-0 after 52 minutes.
The fifth goal was there for Barça, as captain Patri Guijarro drove a right footed cross shot into the bottom left corner of the goal, but VAR this time ruled that Aitana Bonmatí was slightly offside in the build up.
No further goals, but 4-0 was plenty to see off the all-whites and take the blaugranes into the final. The game is on Saturday at 8.00pm CET, also at the Municipal de Butarque stadium, and the opponents are Levante, who ran out 1-3 winners against Atletico Madrid in the other semifinal.
GAME STATS
Barça 4.
Real Madrid 0
Barça: Cata Coll, Lucy Bronze, Irene Paredes (Martina Fernández, min. 65), Ingrid Engen, Ona Batlle, Aitana Bonmatí (Vicky López, min. 80), Keira Walsh, Patri Guijarro, Caroline Graham Hansen (Esmee Brugts, min. 74), Mariona Caldentey (Claudia Pina, min. 65), Salma Paralluelo (Asisat Oshoala, min. 65).
Real Madrid: Misa Rodríguez, Oihane Hernández, Ivana Andrés, Kathellen Sousa, Olga Carmona (Sofie Svava, min. 74), Freja Siri, Sandie Toletti (Hayley Raso, min. 83), Athenea del Castillo, Claudia Zornoza (Maite Oroz, min. 65), Linda Caicedo (Caroline Moller, min. 45), Naomie Feller (Olaya Enrique, min. 83).
Goals: 1-0, Mariona Caldentey (min. 12); 2-0, Salma Paralluelo (min. 15); 3-0, Mariona Caldentey (min. 39); 4-0, Salma (min. 52).
Referee: Marta Huerta