Match Report Barça Women v RCD Espanyol: Goal-fest in the Barcelona derby (5-0)

1,241 fans came to watch Barça Women beat Espanyol 5-0 in an impressive and utterly dominant performance from Xavi Llorens’ side. The attendance was a record for the 2016/17 campaign and it included the Club President, Josep Maria Bartomeu, and Vice-President for Sport, Jordi Mestre.

Even though Xavi Llorens only had one training session with the squad before the match the team continued their excellent form and they have now won four in a row in the league with 23 goals for and none against. This leaves them only one point behind the league leaders Atlético Madrid who play on Sunday.

Dominant blaugranas

The first half was all Barça’s in all facets of the game. They dominated the ball, created chances and scored goals. The first opening of note came in the 16th minute when Torrejon was shot straight at the keeper from a corner and a minute Jenni Hermoso went through one-on-one to the keeper but couldn’t find the finish.

Further chances arrived that weren’t taken even though Barça were completely in control and Espanyol were reduced to defending attack after attack. In the 39th minute, the relentless pressure finally paid off and Andressa Alves finished well from a Melanie cross. Just before the break Barça Women capped of an impressive first half performance with the second goal of the game scored by Jenni Hermoso from an Andressa Alves cross.

Goals galore

Melanie went close from a free kick which whistled past the crossbar a minute after the restart and this was a sign of things to come as Barça kept dominating exactly like they had in the first half. Espanyol started to tire and the home side were given even more space in the opposition’s half. They used this to great effect and the third goal came from another Andressa assist which Vicky Losada was on hand to put into the back of the net at the second post to make it 3-0 in the 52nd minute.

The fourth and Jennifer Hermoso’s second of the night followed soon after as Losada dribbled through the center of the pitch and fed Hermoso, who finished well (4-0, min 59). The fifth came once the substitutions had been made and it came from an impressive solo move from the substitute Bárbara Latorre in the 68th minute.

Barça could have scored a couple more but they settled for the 5-0 scoreline which did justice to an utterly dominant display against their city rivals. The result leaves the blaugranas just one point behind the league leaders Atlético Madrid, who have a game in hand. The next fixture is next Saturday at 10.45am CET against Albacete prior to the first leg of the Champions League quarter finals against Rosengard.