Do-or-die clash against Barça: FCB Women aim to book berth in final

The decisive match at Camp Nou: FC Bayern Women take on FC Barcelona in the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final second leg on Sunday afternoon. After Saturday’s 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena, Munich have a chance to make history. A victory over the three-time winners would see Bayern advance to the CL final for the first time. Kick-off in Barcelona is at 16:30 CET.

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“I’m very proud of this team,” head coach José Barcala summed up the atmosphere at the Allianz Arena after the final whistle of the first leg. Proud of the team’s performance, the impressive reaction after falling behind early on and the determination to keep the scores level with a player down. In front of a record crowd of 31,000, Bayern proved they can stand their ground against the European elite.

The start could hardly have been worse: Ewa Pajor took her first chance and put the Catalans in front after six minutes. However, Munich’s disciplined and tactically astute performance paid off and Franziska Kett crowned a textbook counter-attack to send the fans into raptures after 68 minutes.

Munich have every chance to progress to the final in Oslo. With Bayern’s full focus on the second leg in Barcelona, all eyes across Europe are also on the other semi-final second leg. Holders Arsenal and OL Lyonnes face off on Saturday at 15:00 CEST after the Gunners won their home match 2-1.

📊 The facts ahead of the clash in Barcelona: 

Opponents FC Barcelona

Unlike Munich, who boosted their confidence with a commanding 2-0 victory over Werder Bremen this week, Barcelona were able to use the full week to prepare for the second leg. The Catalans, who have already sealed the domestic championship title, next face Levante in the league on Wednesday. Like FC Bayern Women, coach Pere Romeu’s team sealed the title last week when they beat local rivals Espanyol 4-1.

But Barcelona’s strength goes beyond national borders. The Spanish champions are in top form on the European stage too. The Catalans have gone unbeaten this CL campaign, winning seven and drawing two matches. Barça are a force at home in particular: they have won 32 of their last 34 home matches in Europe’s elite club competition, drawing one and losing one, with a goal difference of 48 scored and four conceded in the last nine games. It is no coincidence that FC Barcelona have made it to the CL final in each of the last five seasons, scoring a whopping 77 goals in the last two seasons – 26 more than the second-best side. 

🔎 FC Barcelona profiled: 

Team news

Head coach José Barcala will have to make do without long-term absentees Sarah Zadrazil and Lena Oberdorf (both cruciate ligament). Jovana Damnjanović (workload) is training individually and is not yet an option. Alara, who resumed team training last week after suffering a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, is back in the squad. Franziska Kett will miss the match after seeing a red card in the first leg. Coach Barcala won’t be in the dugout after a red card.

Pre-match quotes

José Barcala: “We’re all really looking forward to this match. We achieved a good position in the first leg, but we know it’s going to be much harder in Barcelona. It won’t be about finding the perfect match plan but understanding the specific situations on the pitch. What we’ve learned from the first game is very valuable, but it’ll be just as important to make the right adjustments during the game.”

Edna Imade: “We know we’re up against very good opponents who’s very strong at home in particular. It’ll be crucial to stick to our plan and pull in the same direction. It’ll be about being in the right place at the right time and identifying the patterns of the game early on. I know we’ll have to do a very good job to stand our ground in Barcelona.”