(Football news) The Barcelona Women’s team overcame bitter rivals Real Madrid 5-2 at the Camp Nou with 91,553 fans in attendance as the Blaugrana progressed to the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League with an 8-3 aggregate win. Having led the first leg 3-1, the reigning champions put up a five star performance in the second leg and will face either Arsenal or Wolfsburg in the next round. 

It was by far the highest turnout for a women’s club game, the previous record being a 2019 clash between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano. The previous Champions League record was 50,212 in a game involving Lyon and Frankfurt in Munich, 2012. Such was the interest in this fixture that it even surpassed the 80,203 fans who witnessed the United States win the Olympic gold medal after defeating Japan 2-1 at the Wembley Stadium in London, 2012.

The Barcelona Women’s team played a match in front of a packed Camp Nou for the first time, having previously played in an empty stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team usually plays at the 6,000 capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium. However, judging by the interest in the fixture, it was the right call to move the venue to the iconic stadium as a number of fans managed to witness this iconic clash. 

Real Madrid were in the driving seat thanks to a penalty by Olga Carmona and a fine strike by Claudia Zornoza as the Los Blancos got a 2-1 lead after Mapi Leon scored the opening goal. However, second half goals from Aitana Bonmati, Claudia Pina, Alexia Putellas and Caroline Hansen were enough to secure a comfortable win in the end and the team have now won all seven meetings against their rivals. The team will know who they will face in the semi finals depending on the result between Arsenal and Wolfsburg, as things stand, the tie is currently 1-1 and the Gunners will travel to the Volkswagen Arena for the second leg.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain eliminated Bayern Munich 4-3 on aggregate after a goal from Ramona Bachmann’s strike in extra time sent the hosts to the semi finals. The teams couldn’t be separated for 120 minutes at the Parc des Princes until Bachmann fired a winning goal from the bench. PSG’s Sandy Baltimore scored the opening goal of the night after 17 minutes but Bayern defender Saki Kumagai equalised less than two minutes later. Klara Bühl then proceeded to give Bayern Munich the lead but neither side managed to find the winner in normal time. 

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