An historic day at Camp Nou as 91,553 spectators - a world-record crowd for women's football - enjoyed a goal-fest between two eternal club rivals. Reigning champions Barça sparkled in their return quarter final against Real Madrid in the Women's Champions League to win 5-2, for an 8-3 aggregate over both legs, to go through to the semifinals of the top European competition.
A party for Barça fans
Barça made three changes to their starting eleven with respect to the first leg, precisely the three players who had led the come-from-behind 3-1 victory at Valdebabas, while Real Madrid only made one change, in its defence axis. And the tonic of the match was that of the final stretch of the first leg - when Barça had been rampant.
Barça put the pressure on, attacked relentlessly and put the fear into an overwhelmed Real Madrid. The first shot was by Mapi León in the first minute of play. Then Caroline Graham Hansen created more danger. But it was Mapi, the midfielder for the Catalans, who scored the first goal in the 8th minute after a cross that beguiled the goalkeeper Misa until it ended in the back of the net.
Barça players celebrating a goal against Real Madrid / EFE
However, the goal celebration and the party that broke out in a Camp Nou with over 90,000 spectators, cooled down after a handball from Irene Paredes inside the culer area which ended up with a penalty and equalizer by Olga Carmona from the eleven metre mark. A Real Madrid that recomposed itself, but only momentarily.
Before long, Barça were once again dominating, constantly sending balls into the rival area, as well as repeatedly shooting for the second goal. Patri Guijarro, Graham Hansen, Rolfö... constantly attacking but without finding the net. From the half hour mark, Barça were really putting it together, led by Alexia Putellas, but there were no more goals before the break.
Alexia Putellas in the match against Real Madrid / EFE
And so to the goal-fest
But in the second half, the footballing heavens opened and the goals rained down. Claudia Zornoza surprised everyone with a goal from 45 meters that put Real Madrid on the comeback trail. But this second goal by Madrid - becoming the first team to score two goals against Barça this season and bringing the tie back to life - saw a rapid response by the Catalan players.
Aitana Bonmatí equalized again for Barça in the 52nd minute. Two-all, with Barça ahead by 5-3 on aggregate. In the 55th minute, Claudia Pina scored Barça's third goal. But Barça did not stop attacking and Alexia Putellas scored the fourth goal in the 64th minute. And the fifth was the work of Hansen in the 70th minute. There were 20 minutes left for a blaugrana exhibition while an ecstatic crowd sent waves around Camp Nou.
Aintana Bonmatí celebrating her goal against Real Madrid / EFE
Substitutes Leila Ouahabi, Ingrid Engen, Ana-Maria Crnogorčević, Melanie Serrano and Andrea Pereira took to the field to give their team-mates the prize of being clapped off the field by 90,000 pairs of hands. Real Madrid kept up the fight, but Barça also finished brilliantly on an historic day at the Camp Nou. The winner of the tie between Wolfsburg and Arsenal will be Barça's next rival in the Women's Champions League.
Main image: Barça players celebrating one of their goals against Real Madrid / EFE