Barcelona Women Dominate Real Madrid in Copa de la Reina Semifinal

BARCELONA, Spain — The FC Barcelona women’s team showcased a powerful performance on Thursday, defeating Real Madrid 5-0 in the first leg of the Copa de la Reina semifinals at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano. The match featured a stunning hat-trick from Polish forward Ewa Pajor and a brace from Spanish forward Salma Paralluelo.

The decisive encounter places Barcelona in a strong position ahead of the return match in Barcelona on March 12, where they will look to secure their spot in the final. Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid holds a 2-0 advantage over Granada in the other semifinal.

This latest victory marks Barcelona’s 17th consecutive triumph against Real Madrid, who have yet to win a match against their rivals since the teams first squared off in the 2020-2021 season, where Barcelona also triumphed with a score of 4-0. In total, Barcelona has scored 63 goals against Real Madrid, who have only managed to net 7 goals.

The match began dramatically as Paralluelo scored just under two minutes in, taking advantage of a misjudged clearance by Madrid goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez to place Barcelona ahead early. This setback dampened the spirits of the Real Madrid squad, forcing them into a challenging first half where Barcelona’s aggressive pressing denied them any moments of respite.

Pajor quickly followed up with Barcelona’s second goal in the 13th minute, converting a rebound, and added a third with a volley in the 29th minute, both times capitalizing on the difficulties Misa faced amid the heavy rain. Despite trailing 3-0, Madrid temporarily rallied for offensive opportunities, yet they were consistently thwarted by Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll, who made several key saves.

The first half ended with Paralluelo netting her second goal in the 42nd minute, closing out a dominant half for Barcelona. After the break, Real Madrid made tactical changes, seeking to shift momentum with fresh players, including Athenea del Castillo. They improved their effort and intensity but failed to convert any chances.

Barcelona, exhibiting their trademark composure, sealed the victory with a final goal in the dying minutes of the match from Pajor, who completed her hat-trick. The result clearly illustrated Barcelona’s dominance in this matchup and their aspirations for the Copa de la Reina title.