The merengue team dominates and wins 2-1 against the Norwegian Valerenga
MADRID, 11 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid beat Valerenga 2-1 this Wednesday, with goals from Claudia Zornoza and Rocío Gálvez, in the first leg of their playoff to access the group stage of the Women’s Champions League, asserting their status as favorite and leading a tie that will be settled on October 18 on Norwegian soil.
At the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium (Valdebebas), the players coached by Alberto Toril dominated almost all facets and soon opened the scoring. It was with a goal from Zornoza in the 4th minute, following an attack from the left wing and with a pass from Olga Carmona for Athenea del Castillo to rush to the bottom line.
Athenea’s cross, on a changed foot, tripped over a rival defender’s line and was poisoned, in such a way that the goalkeeper made a bad clearance and the ball remained at will for Zornoza to push the score to 1-0. Despite Merengue’s insistence, Felicia Rogic equalized in one of the few dangerous chances created by Valerenga in the first half.
After a goal kick, Rocío Gálvez looked back and that long ball fell to the feet of Rogic, who broke away from an opponent to shoot hard and make it impossible for Misa Rodríguez to successfully clear it. Without doing much, the visiting team was making a profit.
But Real Madrid did not suffer the blow and evaded the second goal through Signe Bruun, hunting down a ball inside the area in the 35th minute to execute a left-footed shot that went low next to the post. Her teammate Linda Caicedo, in the 43rd minute, put the visiting goalkeeper in trouble again, with a strong right hand that ended in a corner kick.
And precisely after that corner came the 2-1 score, scored with a header by Gálvez from a measured cross by Tere Abelleira. Just before half-time, a Valerenga player prevented Sandie Toletti’s shot from scoring the Madrid team’s third goal with her stomach and on the same goal line.
The second half was a monologue for the locals, enjoying clear chances, although without the necessary aim to seal their ticket to the group stage. In the final stretch of the match, Maite Oroz even sent a beautiful right-footed volley to the crossbar, after controlling it with her chest and without letting the ball fall on the edge of the area.
This victory, short on the scoreboard for the merits accumulated by both teams, put the Toril pupils with an advantage heading into the second leg. That duel will be played on October 18 (7:30 p.m.), on the grass of the Intility Stadion in Oslo.