MADRID, 21 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will open this Tuesday at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano (9:00 p.m.) their quarter-final tie for the Women’s Champions League, a clash with clear favoritism from the current champion, whom the Madrid team hopes to plant all the possible ‘battle’ to arrive with options for the historic return to be held at the Camp Nou.
The hype was capricious and matched the two Primera Iberdrola teams in the antepenultimate round, an obligation for the Blaugrana, unstoppable so far this season, and a prize for the Madridistas who were making their debut in the top continental competition.
Now, without that ‘pressure’ that falls on the team coached by Jonatan Giráldez, the Madrid team will try to increase their competitiveness and their experience with a match that should border on perfection to keep the excitement going for the return leg on March 30 at the Camp Nou, where more than 70,000 spectators are expected, a historical record for women’s football.
Barça will not want to wait to play this second clash to have the tie sentenced. Already champion of the league, precisely a few weeks ago by thrashing Real Madrid at the Johan Cruyff (5-0), and of the Spanish Super Cup, where he also got rid of his rival in some semifinals that were disputed (1-0) , his intention is now to focus all his efforts on defending his throne and repeating the treble.
No one has been able to unsettle the current champion too much this season, who has not found any opposition in the Champions League either and has won everything with authority. Their tightest game of the year was surely last January in the semifinals of the Super Cup when a goal from Alexia Putellas in minute 91 gave the victory to the Blaugrana who were also superior that night, but ran into a great Misa Rodríguez .
Real Madrid will want to show that they have learned the lesson of last March 13 when they conceded two goals in the final stages of the first half that ruined their collective work. The madridista team, which will be able to count on an important player like Claudia Zornoza, absent in the last match due to suspension, will not go beyond the script of their last clashes and will surely opt to contain and try to surprise with the speed of Athenea del Castillo in particular.
For its part, Barça will go out without hesitation to impose its style of dominance and continuous pressure with its best eleven, with Irene Paredes in doubt, a new addition to the squad after several weeks out due to injury, and the absences of Lieke Martens, Mariona Caldentey, Asisat Oshoala and Jana Fernández.
TORIL BELIEVES THAT THEY ARE “DIFFICULT TO BEAT”, GIRÁLDEZ ASKS FOR DOMINATION FAST
“We’re up against a great team with a great track record and great players, just like we have. Every time we face each other, it’s an opportunity to get closer to them. In the league we compete very well and that’s where the improvement lies, in taking steps as a team. We’re strong and that’s how we’re going to face it”, admitted Toril at a press conference.
The Real Madrid coach believes that they are “in a very good dynamic” and that “the sensations are fantastic”. “We’re a difficult team to beat. We know they’re a tough opponent, but it’s the quarterfinals of the Champions League and we’re sure to have a good game. It’s our first year in the Champions League and we’re among the top eight teams. Let’s go to compete to the maximum with our ‘DNA’ and we hope that the fans enjoy it a lot”, he expressed.
For his part, Jonatan Giráldez admitted that “the results speak for themselves when you look at the change” made by Real Madrid by appointing Alberto Toril instead of David Aznar. “What they have done is excellent and we saw it first-hand in the Super Cup. Preparing for this match requires a lot of effort on our part to know how to hurt them,” he said.
“I think that the challenge above all will be in our ability to adapt in the first minutes of the game to be able to dominate it, regardless of the structure that Real Madrid has and that we are capable of understanding what it needs to dominate it. We must also control its offensive transitions and their midfield players who have the ability to send long passes into space and with quality like Claudia Zornoza”, added the Galician.
DATASHEET.
–POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
REAL MADRID: Mass; Robles, Peter, Ivana, Carmona; Del Castillo, Zornoza, Abelleira, Oroz, Moeller; and Esther.
FC BARCELONA: Cloths; Marta Torrejon, Pereira, Leon, Ouahabi; Alexia, Pebble, Bonmatí; Graham Hansen, Beautiful and Rolfö.
–Arbitra: Lina Lehtovaara (FIN).
–STADIUM: Alfredo Di Stéfano.