El Clásico Immediate Reaction: Barcelona 1 - 0 Real Madrid Femenino

Real Madrid Femenino lose to FC Barcelona Femeni 1-0 courtesy of a 91st-minute winner from Alexia Putellas and are knocked out of the Spanish Super Cup.

Both teams started the match by trying to exploit the other in transition. Barcelona had one chance but the game was relatively even for the first ten minutes. The Blaugrana started to take control after that. Barcelona grew into the half and had chances to take the lead but Las Blancas defended well and Misa stepped up and made incredible saves to keep the match scoreless headed into the second half.

Barcelona switched to a three-back and prioritized overloads and interchangeability in the final third. This allowed the Blaugrana to pin Real Madrid in their defensive third. Las Blancas grew into the half and found some success going forward. Misa kept making great saves and Real Madrid tried to find the goal that would give them the lead.

However, it was Barcelona who took the lead at the death. Alexia Putellas was first to a rebound and scored in the 91st minute to send the Blaugrana to the Spanish Super Cup Final.

• 6’ Alexia Putellas lofted a vertical ball into the area and Olga Carmona sliced it into the path of Fridolina Rolfo. The Swede was pushed wide by the covering Ivana Andres and fired at Misa, who saved.
• 13’ Barcelona started to slow the game down and put together a spell of possession. The Blaugrana found space down the right and Caroline Graham Hansen crossed to Lieke Martens. The Dutch forward flashed her header wide of goal.
• 18’ Barcelona found success down the right flank again. Martens played an early cross into stride for Rolfo, who shanked it up and over the goal.
• 27’ Graham Hansen swung a corner into the box and it bounced out to Jana Fernandez. The Spaniard hit it into the mixer and it found its way to Patri Guijarro. The midfielder hit the ball toward goal but Misa was there to make the stop.
• 33’ Martens had another chance to give the Blaugrana the lead. Rolfo played it to Leila Ouahabi, who made an overlapping run. Leila hit it first time into the box and Martens peeled away from Ivana Andres. She powered her header wide of goal.
• 39’ Barcelona’s best chance of the first half came in the 39th minute. Claudia Zornoza was careless on the ball and Patri robbed her and dribbled toward goal. Misa closed the angle and made an incredible diving save to parry the shot wide and keep things even.
• 47’ Barcelona continued their dominance in possession and nearly opened the scoring to start the second half. Alexia danced her way through the box and left it for Jenni Hermoso to strike. The Spanish forward lined it up but pulled her shot wide of Misa’s far post.
• 51’ Irene Paredes thundered a header toward goal and Misa got down well to make the save. The goalkeeper spilled it into the path of Rolfo, who looked to have an easy tap in but she hit it horribly and missed.
• 58’ Real Madrid conjured their first shot of the match when Athenea was played down the left. She cut inside and launched from distance but the ball was always rising over the bar.
• 60’ Two minutes later Zornoza nearly put Las Blancas in front. She struck from distance and pinged her shot off Sandra Paños’s post.
• 65’ Misa made a diving save to push Alexia’s shot wide of the post.
• 67’ Real Madrid continued to find holes in the Barcelona defense. Maite Oroz won the ball and played a line-splitting pass intended for substitute Nahikari Garcia but Paños came off her line and cleared. Moments later, Athenea drove into the box and was sandwiched off the ball by Putellas and Rolfo. The referee waved play on.
• 72’ Claudia Florentino gave away an unnecessary corner kick when she played a poor back pass out of play. Paredes smashed another header on target but Misa flew across goal to make the save.
• 75’ Las Blancas countered through Esther. She played to forward to Maite Oroz, who lined up a shot and hit it straight at Paños.
• 91’ Graham Hansen played it down the line to Hermoso. She crossed to Assist Oshoala, who hit it off the post. It bounced out and Alexia Putellas was first to it and she gave Barcelona the late lead.

Despite the heroic performance, Las Blancas were thwarted by the late goal and have been knocked out of the Spanish Super Cup. Real Madrid Femenino are back in action against Sevilla on Saturday, January 29.