Aitana Bonmati runs with the ball throughout Barcelona’s 4-1 win at Wolfsburg (RONNY HARTMANN)
Defending champions Barcelona are on monitor for the ultimate 4 of the ladies’s Champions League after a dominant 4-1 win of their quarter-final first leg at Wolfsburg on Wednesday.
Not like the 2023 Champions League last between the identical two opponents, received narrowly 3-2 by Barcelona who got here from two objectives down, Wednesday’s conflict was an uneven affair.
A primary-half own-goal by Caitlin Dijkstra, adopted up by two strikes in fast succession within the second interval by Irene Paredes and Salma Paralluelo put the guests firmly in management.
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Janina Minge pulled one again inside the ultimate quarter-hour for Wolfsburg, earlier than Sydney Schertenleib added a late fourth.
“It was extraordinarily tough,” Minge informed DAZN, including: “At occasions we felt like headless chickens on the pitch… within the second half, we had been simply chasing after them.
“We’ll give it our all within the return leg. We can’t hand over.”
Winners of three of the previous 4 Champions Leagues, Barcelona confirmed fluency in assault and pinned the Wolves again early.
Barcelona’s dominance of the ball lastly confirmed on the scoreboard after 26 minutes when Ewa Pajor, who spent virtually a decade on the German membership, pressured Dijkstra into conceding an personal purpose from Aitana Bonmati’s cross.
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The guests had been unable to make their dominance rely additional with only a one-goal lead heading into half-time.
However Barcelona shortly took management of the match, and the tie, with two objectives in three minutes simply after the interval.
Paredes tapped in from shut vary after Wolfsburg didn’t take care of a Barcelona nook on 50 minutes.
On the 53rd-minute mark, Paralluelo scored on a Barcelona counter, her shot scuffed into her personal web by Wolfsburg’s Minge.
Paralluelo seemed to have scored once more simply 5 minutes later, however was half-a-metre offside when assisted by Pajor.
Minge gave Wolfsburg hope when she headed in unmarked from simply close to the penalty spot with 79 minutes gone, however Swiss teenager Schertenleib’s high quality curling end with two minutes remaining put Barcelona firmly accountable for the tie.
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The scope of the loss leaves Wolfsburg needing a mountain to climb subsequent week in Barcelona if they’re to maneuver previous the Catalans and attempt to add to 2 Champions League titles.
Later, Manchester Metropolis host English champions Chelsea in Wednesday’s different quarter-final.
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