Barça 3-1 SK Brann: Into the semis!

FC Barcelona have beaten SK Brann in the quarter finals of the UWCL and are into the final four in Europe for the sixth year in a row. A piece of brilliance from Aitana Bonmatí set things going in the first half, and Fridolina Rolfö and Patri Guijarro finished off the job in the second. Next up is Chelsea in the semi-finals and hopefully after that a trip to Bilbao for the final on May 25.

Going for goal

The Estadi Johan Cruyff was raring to go on Thursday night and so were the team, forcing five corners in as many minutes as they surged forward from the very first instant. Graham Hansen was dazzling as usual in every facet of the game against her fellow countrywomen and she and Aitana Bonmatí, Irene Paredes and Keira Walsh all could have scored had visiting keeper Aurora Mikelsen not been as inspired as she had been in Norway.

Aitana magic

The goal always looked liked coming and finally did courtesy of Aitana Bonmatí with the kind of finish that explains why she won the Ballon d'Or, collecting ball on the edge of the area and thumping home an unstoppable strike. After that, it continued to be one-way traffic on the outclassed visitors' goal, with Mariona Caldentey very nearly extending the lead on the stroke of half-time.

Number two

Brann had nothing to lose and in the second half clearly decided they may as well give it a go. But that just opened things up at the back for Barça to move in for the kill, with Graham Hansen sending one shot skipping past the post. And after she danced forward on a stunning run and it was her cross followed by a rapid series of clearances that eventually fell to Fridolina Rolfö making it 2-0, and any lingering doubt that Barça were not headed for the semi-finals was laid to rest.

Brann pull one back

Great goalkeeping prevented further Barça goalscoring and utterly against the run of play, SK Brann pulled one back. Tomine Svendheim punting a loose ball in the area at an angle past Cata Coll. Bar¡a were utterly unfazed and Fridolina Rolfö could have re-established the two-goal cushion right from the restart, but her shot struck the post.

Teo ahead again

Anna Aahjem very nearly scored what would have been a most unexpected second for Brann, but logic prevailed moments later as Graham Hansen wove her way past her marker and whipped in a delightful cross for Aitana Bonmatí who may not have converted her shot but Patri Guijarro was right on the rebound and that was Barça fully and unquestionably through to the semi-finals... Chelsea, here we come!

MATCH STATS

Barça, 3
SK Brann, 1

Barça: Cata Coll; Lucy Bronze, Irene Paredes (Marta Torrejón, min. 70), Ingrid Engen (Martina Fernández, min. 89), Fridolina Rolfö; Keira Walsh, Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas (Patri Guijarro, min. 70); Mariona Caldentey (Bruna Vilamala, min. 83), Esmee Brugts (Salma Paralluelo, min. 70), Graham Hansen

SK Brann: Aurora Mikalsen; Ingrid Stenevik (Sara Ritter, min. 70), Marthine Ostenstad, Joanna Tynnilä (Johanna Renmark, min. 70); Cecilie Kvamme, Justine Kielland (Anna Aahjem, min. 64), Karoline Haugland, Marit B. Lund (Tomine Svendheim, min. 56); Signe Gaupset, Rakel Engesvik (Amalie Eikeland, min. 46), Larissa Crumer

Goals: Aitana Bonmatí (1-0, min. 24), Fridolina Rolfö (2-0, min. 56), Tomine Svendheim (2-1, min. 70), Patri Guijarro (3-1, min. 88)

Referees: Ivana Martinčić, Sanja Rodjak-Karšić and Maja Petravić. Yellow cards for Ingrid Stenevik (Brann) and Irene Paredes (Barça)