Barcelona Femeni returned to action yesterday in the Liga F, where they defeated Levante Las Planas 9-1 at home. Rampant Barcelona left no stone unturned as they pummeled the opposition in their first game of the new year.
The league leaders started the game with a strong lineup and once again exerted their dominance over the match proceedings. Firing on all cylinders from start to finish and eventually ending the game with an enormous 9-1 win.
Goals from Salma Paralluelo, Mariona Caldentey, Aitana Bonmati, Caroline Graham Hansen, Claudia Pina, Patri Guijarro (2), Vicky Lopez, and Asisat Oshoala fired the Blaugrana into their biggest win of the season so far.
First Half
Dominating the game right off the bat, it took Barcelona just five minutes to open the scoring. Salma Paralluelo finished beautifully at the far post after connecting with a deep delivery from Caroline Graham Hansen.
The Norwegian forward almost doubled Barcelona’s lead in the 11th minute but was unable to make the right contact with Salma’s cross into the box. The scramble lead to a half-chance for Aitana Bonmati who saw her shot saved by the goalkeeper.
Three minutes later, a through pass down the middle found Aitana Bonmati who ran into the box but saw her effort nullified in an attempt to go round the goalkeeper.
However, relentless Barcelona kept hunting for more goals, and another opportunity arrived in the 22nd minute when Mariona Caldentey was brought down in the penalty area. The Barcelona number 9 shook off the knock and converted from 12 yards to double the Blaugrana’s lead.
Five minutes after the penalty, Barcelona’s deadly duo combined to score the team’s third goal of the night. An exchange of passes between Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Hansen ended with the former executing a brilliant turn to get past her marker before firing a low shot past the goalkeeper.
The opposition had five minutes of possession and threatened to hurt the champions but their forward saw her effort saved by Sandra Panos in goal for Barcelona. Levante came closest to scoring in the 36th minute but saw an attempted header fly harmlessly over the crossbar.
Mariona Caldentey won the ball in midfield and launched an overhead pass to find Caroline Graham Hansen, who dinked the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper to put Barcelona four goals ahead in the 41st minute.
An own goal scare almost saw Barcelona hit five goals in the first half in the last minute of the half, but the failed clearance attemot came off the crossbar and kept the game at 4-0 at halftime.
Second Half
Just like the first 45 minutes, it took the league leaders five minutes to open the scoring after the restart. Claudia Pina fired into the bottom corner of the net after latching on to a failed clearance attempt by the Levante defense.
A minute later, goalscorer turned provider as the Spanish midfielder found teammate Patri Guijarro with a sumptuos pass on the edge of the box. Patri rifled an unstoppable shot shot into the top corner to make it six goals for Barcelona.
In the 63rd minute, Barcelona showed some complacency at the back when Ingrid Engen’s shimmy on the ball led to a consolation goal for Levante. Allegria Pollack robbed the Norwegian midfielder of the ball right on the edge of the box before placing her shot beyond the goalkeeper.
Substitute Vicky Lopez scored the seventh goal for Barcelona after benefiting from a loose ball on the edge of the opposition’s box and sending a left-footed shot into the bottom corner in the 84th minute.
With five minutes added, Brcelona scored two more goals to show their dominance. Patri Guijarro got her brace from a header right on the goal line in the 92nd minute. Levante’s failed attempt at clearing their lines from a Barcelona corner kick led to the midfielder heading home unmarked from close range.
Substitutes combined in the 93rd minute when Vicky Lopez and Asisat Oshoala exchanged passes before the latter fired home from a tight angle. The Nigerian forward dispossessed a defender in the opposition half and connected with Vicky Lopez before dragging her marker wide off the mark and firing a low shot into the far corner to make it 9-1 for Barcelona.
A ruthless and dominant display ended with a huge win for the Blaugrana extending their lead at the top of the league standings.
