Sant Joan DespíThe Champions League is something else. And well, Barça knows it, which came out to bite from the first minute against the Swedish Hammarby and to leave behind the remora that, this season, the first parts get stuck. The defeat on the first day against City will require the Blaugranas to win everything in the group stage if they want to finish first and, against Hammarby, Pere Romeu’s team showed without any mania that they want to show off the European crown again (9-0).
Overcome an initial scare that was resolved by Cata Coll becoming a giant in a hand to hand in front of Tandberg when not even a minute had passed, Barça was very insistent in attack. Rölfo, on the left, and Graham Hansen, on the right, made the rival defense run wild. Pina was the most determined to open the can, driven by an Alexia that once again shines with its own light. Then two warnings from Pina, with a forced header and a dry but focused shot. It was Hansen who started the scoring by completing, fortunately, a delicious three-way combination with Alexia and Pina herself.
Hammarby, boosted by 350 fans without fear of getting into trouble, tried to react without success. The timid response from the visitors did not intimidate a Barça hungry for goals. After trying so hard, Pina found the reward after taking advantage of a ball that had remained dead in the heart of the area after a shot by Pajor. With the 2-0, the Blaugrana lowered the revolutions a little and the Swedes tried to take advantage of it to get closer, once again unsuccessfully, to Cata Coll’s goal.
There was nothing Hammarby could do because, just before the break, Alexia sealed his great performance with a tight header after Patri’s good cross. The captain would not be the only one to score with her head because, less than ten minutes after the restart, Aitana served a good cross at the exit of a corner for Mapi León to find the goal again.
Ewa Pajor makes her Champions League debut with Barça
In the second half, Barça was a merciless picker. Pina, intense in the pressure, achieved the double in a play in which she herself recovered the ball and which ended with Aitana assisting her. The 5-0 completely erased from the game a Hammarby that was starting to lose its grip: Mapi took an unjustified Tandberg foul which angered the Johan fans.
The rest of the duel didn’t have much history: Pajor scored his first goal in the Champions League as a Barça player, Hansen scored a brace and Brugts and Rolfö, from the penalty spot, closed the rout. Barça is Barça again, also in the Champions League.
- Barça: Cata; Ona Batlle, Engen (Paredes, 66′), Mapi León (Torrejón, 76′), Rolfö; Aitana (Brugts, 76′), Patri, Alexia (Kika, 76′); Graham, Pajor i Pina (Walsh, 66′). Entrepreneur: Pere Romeu.
- Hammarby: Oak; Lennartsson (Holmberg, 64′), Carlsson, Nyström, Andersson; Joramo (Gibson, 84′), Miyagama (Sorbo, 63′); Hasund (Vallotto, 64′), Wangerheim, Blakstad; y Tandberg (Westin, 72′). Trainer: Martin Sjögren.
- Goals: 1-0, Graham (10′); 2-0, Pina (24′); 3-0, Alexia (45′); 4-0, Mapi Leon (54′); 5-0, Pina (58′); 6-0, Pajor 72′); 7-0, Graham (75′); 8-0, Brugts (88′); 9-0, Rolf (p) (90′).
- Referee: Riem Hussein (Germany).
- Targetes yellow: Alexia (30′), Tandberg (60′) and Andersson (90′).
- Red cards: None.
- Stadium: Johan Cruyff. 4,915 spectators.
