Barcelona cruises past Wolfsburg into Women's Champions League semifinals
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona remained on course for a third straight Women's Champions League title after routing Wolfsburg 6-1 in the second leg of their quarterfinal encounter Thursday.
Forward Salma Paralluelo and Clàudia Pina each scored twice as Barcelona reached the semifinal on a massive 10-2 aggregate score. The Catalan powerhouse has scored a total of 35 goals in eight games in the competition this season.
Barcelona won 4-1 in the first leg last week in the first meeting of the two teams since the Spanish side beat Wolfsburg 3-2 in the 2023 Champions League final.
It was nowhere near that margin again at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
Paralluelo completed a fast move with a clinical left-footed low finish from the left corner of the area 10 minutes in. Only 10 minutes later, Esmee Brugts cut back for her from the left to add the second from inside the box before dancing with her smiling teammates in celebration.
Brugts made it 3-0 with a powerful drive from some 20 meters (yards) to beat goalkeeper Anneke Borbe.
Pina controlled the ball with her left foot before unleashing a right-footed strike from the edge of the area to add the fourth in the 62nd, less than four minutes after coming on as substitute.
Only then did Wolfsburg respond, when substitute Lineth Beerensteyn scored with her first touch of the ball.
But Pina curled in a free kick for her second and seventh of the campaign in the 77th and María León netted the sixth from a long-distance free kick in stoppage time.
Barcelona will next face either Chelsea or Manchester City — those two meet in an all-England second leg of their quarterfinal tie later Thursday.
Record eight-time winner Lyon outclassed Bayern Munich 4-1 on Wednesday to set up the other semifinal against Arsenal as the London club staged a remarkable comeback to advance with a 3-0 win over Real Madrid.
Barcelona and Lyon have met in the final in three of the past six seasons, including last year.
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