In one of Saturday’s Primera Femenino Division, city rivals Espanyol very nearly soiled the spotless record of league champions Barcelona Femení in the top flight at the Cuitat Esportiva Dani Jarque Stadium.
But, the grit and dtermination that won Asisat Oshoala’s record-setting side the title and the UEFA Women’s Champions League characterised their fight to keep their 100% winning record going and earn them a 3-2 victory, with a last gasp goal.
From the first half, the tie was a constant tug of war between the Catalan clubs. Barça quickly opened the scoring through Ana Maria Crnogorcevic in the fifth minute after she hunted down a rebound that came from a Lieke Martens’ shot.
But, Espanyol did not fold. Their determined pressing forced Andrea Pereira into fouling Cristina Baudet for a penalty, which the latter did not miss from the spot.
Then, the hosts took control of the leaderboard by inching ahead of Barca 10 minutes later when reliable Barcelona keeper, Sandra Panos, did not gather the ball properly and it spilled to Marianela Szymanowski and buried the ball with gratitude.
It did not take long for the balance to swing again because in the 38th minute, Patricia Guijarro collected Aitana Bonmati’s cross and delivered it into the Espanyol net with a superb volley. That made sure both sides went into the break level and set the stage for a dramatic finish in the second period.
Unlike the first period, the second was all about Barca’s pressing for a winner, which their repeated chances failed to give them. Yet, as a reward for their dogged determination to the end and dominant possession football, the sought-after goal came at the very end.
Melanie Serrano’s cross ricocheted and rebounded in the Espanyol box before Mariona Caldentey headed home in the 93rd minute to help the champions preserve their record and earn their 28th consecutive league win in the process out of 28 matches. It also pushed their goal tally to 132 goals.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
