Barcelona advanced to the Champions League final with a smashing 5-1 semi-final first-leg victory over Wolfsburg in front of a women’s football attendance record. On Friday, 91,648 people crammed into the Nou Camp to see Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas score twice, putting Barcelona in perfect control of the tie.
Breaking the Attendance Record
This number surpasses the 91,553 who attended the Catalan club’s quarter-final victory over Real Madrid at the same venue. Aitana Bonmati put the reigning champions up in the third minute, before Caroline Graham Hansen, Jennifer Hermoso, and Putellas added goals to make it 4-0 at halftime.
Jill Roord’s 70th-minute goal cut the lead in half, but the overpowering hosts had the final say five minutes from time when Putellas converted from the penalty spot for her second of the evening.
With ten goals in this year’s tournament, Spain midfielder Putellas now leads the scoring statistics. Barca, who had 33 shots on goal, will try to complete the job at the Volkswagen Arena next Saturday.
Barcelona and Wolfsburg
Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Hansen scored in the first 10 minutes for the Spanish champions, who won the treble last season. Jill Roord of Wolfsburg got a goal back in the second half, but Putellas’ penalty made it 5-1.
Wolfsburg, the two-time champions, were blown away early on by Barcelona, who broke the previous record for a women’s match when they beat El Clasico rivals Real Madrid in the quarter-finals last month in front of 91,553.
Roord gave Wolfsburg a ray of hope when she slid the ball past goalkeeper Sandra Panos in the 70th minute, but they face a tall challenge in the second leg to turn things around when Putellas’ late penalty made it 5-1.
Wolfsburg must now come back from a 1-0 deficit at home against a Barcelona team that has won every game since a 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in the opening leg of the Champions League semi-finals last season. On Sunday, April 24th, seven-time champion Lyon will face French rivals Paris Saint-Germain in the second semi-final.
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