After a tight first 45 minutes that seemed to be evenly balanced among both teams, Barcelona went into the tunnel at halftime with a one-goal lead. However, before the referee blew the final whistle of the match, the tie was already over. The Blaugrana had put the match beyond their visitors from Madrid with a dominant second-half display, completely outclassing Atletico in every part of the game.
A 4-0 victory that saw Barcelona win their 25th league game of the season. The league leaders now have 75 points in the league and are 16 points clear of their closest competition, Real Madrid who will be playing against Real Betis tomorrow.
We bring you a quick rundown of how the game went at Estadi Johan Cryuff.
1st HALF
The first 10 minutes of the game saw Barcelona control possession of the game, after which the game became evenly balanced as both teams attempted to create goal-scoring chances.
Atletico Madrid came really close in the 20th minute as Ajibade forced Sandra Panos into making her first save of the game after running in behind the Barcelona defense line.
However, it wasn’t until the 28th minute that Barcelona broke the deadlock courtesy of a goal from Aitana Bonmati. The goal came as a result of a diagonal pass from Rolfo which found Caroline Graham Hansen on the right side of the penalty area. The midfielder who was just making a run into the box then received a cutback from Hansen and gleefully placed the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal with her left foot.
2nd HALF
Unlike the first 45 minutes, the second half was an exhilarating affair with more goal-scoring chances created. Vicky Lopez scored her second goal of the season just 29 seconds into the restart. An attempt to head the ball clear from a slick overhead pass by Geyse led to a loose ball, which the 16-year-old benefited from to score Barcelona’s second goal of the contest. The goal also happened to be Vicky Lopez’s second goal of the season.
More drama ensued as Barcelona went searching for the third goal, with Graham Hansen and Aitana Bonmati almost finding the back of the net. Shortly after, in the 57th minute, just like in the first half, the pair combined to get Barcelona’s third goal of the match. The midfielder embarked on a run towards Atletico’s backline after a beautiful turn in the middle of the park and then laid off the pass to Graham Hansen who then slotted the ball past Atletico’s goalkeeper from the edge of the box.
With a three-goal lead and an eye on the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, some substitutions were made, which saw Graham Hansen, Geyse Ferreira, and Vicky Lopez brought off for Ana Maria Crnogocervic, Bruna Vilamala, and Mariona Caldentey, respectively. About 8 minutes after the changes were made, Ingrid Engen and Lucy Bronze came on to replace Keira Walsh and Irene Paredes.
Despite the changes and the dominant display, Barcelona refused to take their foot off the pedal as the team went in search of another goal, with Bruna, Mariona, and Aitana all coming close to getting the fourth goal. But it was the latter that would get her second of the game in the 89th minute following a beautiful exchange of passes between Rolfo, Mariona, and Bruna, who eventually teed up the ball for Aitana Bonmati to finish from close range.
Goals and Assists
28’ GOAL – Aitana Bonmati
ASSIST – Caroline Graham Hansen
46’ GOAL – Vicky Lopez
57’ GOAL – Caroline Graham Hansen
ASSIST – Aitana Bonmati
89’ GOAL – Aitana Bonmati
ASSIST – Bruna Vilamala
Substitutions
62’ Caroline Graham Hansen, Geyse Ferreira, and Vicky Lopez – OUT
Ana Maria Crnogocervic, Bruna Vilamala, and Mariona Caldentey – IN
70’ Keira Walsh, and Irene Paredes – OUT
Ingrid Engen, and Lucy Bronze – IN
It was another dominant display from the league leaders, who will now be focusing on their trip to London, where they will face Chelsea in the semifinals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. However, Barcelona go to London without any worries over retaining their league title, and with this game being her 25th league win of the season, the FC Barcelona Femeni team is now in a position where the league title might be theirs again provided second-placed Real Madrid fail to win against Real Betis tomorrow.
Key factors that contributed to the win against Atletico Madrid
A win against Atletico Madrid earlier today extends Barcelona’s lead at the top of the Liga F table. We take a look at the key moments and factors that contributed to the 4-0 victory against Atletico Madrid on Matchday 25 in Liga F.
Aitana Bonmati is important
Always creating problems for opponents in the middle of the park, the midfielder has proven just how important her presence in the Barcelona midfield is this season. With Alexia still out due to injury, Aitana Bonmati has become the team’s main outlet for creating chances in the final third. Her ability to dribble past opponents, spin and turn like she did to provide the third goal against Atletico, not to mention making those darting runs into the box to increase the team’s chances of scoring goals is a menace for any team she faces. Her ability to get into the box and serve as an additional option in attack saw her score both the first and last goals of the game.
Early goals in the second half
After a tight affair in the first 45 minutes of the game, Barcelona went in at half-time with one goal lead against an Atletico team that looked like they could get something out of the game. The restart however saw Barcelona get another goal just 29 seconds into the second half, a goal that dampened the spirits of the Atletico team. The opponents found it difficult to replicate the performance they put in the first half and quickly found themselves behind by another goal 8 minutes later, and this all but put an end to the tie. From that moment on, any thought of a possible comeback was completely annihilated.
Rolfo’s attacking prowess
The Sweden international adds a lot more to Barcelona’s attack with her unparalleled attacking prowess as a fullback, delivering assists and goals. Even though she had no goal or assist to her name in this match, she was heavily involved in the build-up play that lead to the first and fourth goals. It was her diagonal pass that found Graham Hansen in the first half, and a sequence of brilliant exchange of passes between her and Mariona Caldentey that opened up space for Bruna Vilamala to assist the last goal of the game. The fullback has proven to be a handful for the opposition down that left flank and her importance to the team is immeasurable.
Mariona’s return from injury
Recently given the medical green light, the Barcelona forward came on in the 62nd minute replacing Vicky Lopez. Her introduction brought an additional spark to the attack. She hit the crossbar in the 77th minute from a freekick on the edge of the box. Despite just returning from injury, she showed no signs of rustiness in her 30-minute appearance. Linking up well with Rolfo, dribbling past opponents, and putting through balls to find the run of Rolfo, Aitana, or Bruna behind the Atletico backline. Her dynamism adds to the wealth of attacking options for Barcelona.
We hope this win can serve as a massive boost for the team going into the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea next week.
