Barcelona are the only team left in our way as we look to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the first time since 2007.
But how familiar are you with them? Here’s all you need to know about our opponents:
THE HISTORY
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Founded in 1970, Barcelona are the most successful Spanish women’s team with 10 Liga F titles, three Champions Leagues in 2021, 2023 and 2024, 10 Copas de la Reina, five Supercopas and 10 Copas Catalunyas. Between September 23, 2012 and April 20, 2014, they had a 54-game unbeaten run.
In 2018/19 they lost their first Champions League final, 4-1 to Lyon, but have been in the showpiece of the competition every season since 2020/21, beating Chelsea 4-0 in 2021, losing 3-1 to Lyon in 2022, beating Wolfsburg 3-2 in 2023, and beating Lyon again 2-0 in 2024.
Their total record in the Champions League is 99 games played, 72 wins, eight draws, 19 losses, 268 goals scored, 80 conceded, and a goal difference of 188.
Aitana Bonmati is their top scorer in the competition with 26 goals.
THE STADIUM
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Barcelona play the majority of their games at the 6,000-capacity stadium Estadi Johan Cruyff, having moved there in 2019. They had previously played matches at the Mini Estadi, close to Camp Nou.
Speaking of which, Barca do play a selection of matches at their club's main stadium, and on April 22, 2022, they set the official record attendance for a women's football match, with 91,648 people watching Barcelona defeat Wolfsburg 5–1.
THE MANAGER
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Barcelona-born Pere Romeu played as a defensive midfielder in youth teams at CE Europa and CP Sarria, idolising Portuguese playmaker Deco, before suffering an ACL injury. He eventually recovered and helped the under-18s win the league, and played some games with the first team, but he hung up his boots to coach Sarria’s under-10s.
Youth coaching spells followed at CE L’Hospitalet and Barcelona before he was appointed to assistant manager at Viitorul Constanta.
He returned to Barcelona as an assistant coach for the women’s team in 2021 and would assume that role for three years before the dismissal of head coach Jonatan Giraldez allowed Romeu to make the step up to his first senior head coach position.
LAST SEASON
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In 2023/24, Barcelona won their first continental quadruple of the Liga F, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa de Espana, and the Champions League. They won 45 out of 48 matches in all competitions, only losing to Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.
In that competition, they finished top of Group A before beating Brann in the quarter-finals, Chelsea in the semis and Lyon in the final.
They ended the league season with a goal difference of 127, having scored 137 goals and conceded just 10 in 30 matches. Salma Paralluelo was their top scorer in all competitions with 34 goals
Mariona Caldentey was named player of the match when Barcelona defeated Real Sociedad 8–0 in the Copa de la Reina final. She scored two and assisted three goals.
THE SQUAD
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Braca typically set up with Cata Coll in goal, behind a defence of Mapi Leon, Jana Fernandez, Irene Paredes and Marta Torrejon, with Ona Battle also featuring regularly. Making the most appearances in midfield are Ingrid Engen, Aitana Bonmati, Vicky Lopez, Patricia Guijarro and Alexia Putellas, as well as Esmee Brugts and Kim Nazareth.
Ewa Pajor usually leads the line up front, while Claudia Pina, Caroline Graham Hansen and Fridolina Rolfo have also got plenty of minutes under their belts.
Barca currently have two back-to-back Ballon D’Or Feminin winners in their ranks in Putellas (2021 and 2022) and Bonmati (2023 and 2024). They are two of eight academy graduates in the squad, with Gemma Font, Jana Fernandez, Battle, Lopez, Pina and Martina Fernandez all made in La Masia.
THE SEASON SO FAR
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Barcelona won the Liga F again this year as well as the Supercopa de Espana with a 5-0 win over Real Madrid, and have the finals of the Copa de la Reina and Copa Catalunya still to come. They won the first 15 Liga F games in a row before losing 2-1 at home to Levante. Their only other defeat was a 3-1 loss at home to Real Madrid, who they had beaten 4-0 away from home
In the Champions League, they finished joint top of Group D alongside Manchester City on 15 points, but had a much higher goal difference. It was City who beat them 2-0 at the Joie Stadium in their first match of the group stages.
Barca beat Wolfsburg 10-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, before beating Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate in the semis, including a 4-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.
Pajor is the top scorer with 43 goals in all competitions after Sunday's 6-0 win over Athletic Club. She arrived from VfL Wolfsburg in the summer transfer window.
THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS
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We have fond memories of our first two encounters with Barcelona - a 3-0 win away from home followed by a 4-0 victory at Meadow Park in 2012 in the round of 32 stage. Jen Beattie, Jordan Nobbs and Katie Chapman got the goals in Spain, before Beattie stole the headlines with a hat-trick in Borehamwood, followed by a goal from Kim Little.
There was less for us to celebrate in 2021, Barcelona beating us 4-1 and 4-0 in the group stages with Caldentey scoring against us in our home match.
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