Barcelona crush Wolfsburg in Women's Champions League to make semi-finals
Defending champions Barcelona cruised to a 6-1 home win over Wolfsburg in the second leg of their Women's Champions League quarter-final to book a semi-final place with a stunning 10-2 aggregate win.
Barça were 3-0 up at the break following a Salma Paralluelo double and Esmee Brugts's fine strike.
Substitute Clàudia Pina scored a fourth before Wolfsburg forward Lineth Beerensteyn pulled a goal back for the visitors. Pina and defender Maria León completed the rout for Barcelona with two free kicks.
The Spanish side will face Manchester City or Chelsea, who play later on Thursday, in the semi-finals in April. City lead 2-0 from the first leg.
Sign up to Moving the Goalposts
No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football
after newsletter promotion
More to follow …
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Lionel Messi's changing room conduct emerges as ex-team-mate tells all
Ex-Barcelona star Marc Bartra has opened up about the intense drive and high standards of the legendary Lionel Messi. The defender shared a dressing room with the Argentine icon at the Catalan giants for six years. Bartra, who rose through the ranks at La Masia alongside Messi and spent his early professional years at Camp Nou, has since moved on to play for Borussia Dortmund and is currently in his second spell at Real Betis. He recently contested the Europa Conference League final against Chelsea, losing 4-1. The ex-Spain international has now spoken out about his time with Messi during the latter's golden years at Barcelona. Appearing on the Spanish TV show Viajando con Chester, hosted by Risto Mejide, Bartra revealed insights into Messi's self-criticism and relentless pursuit of excellence. He recounted witnessing Messi berate himself for errors made on the pitch, even to the point of swearing and tugging at his own shirt in frustration, before making an immediate amends when he took to the field again. Bartra recalled Messi's reaction after missing a penalty, saying: "He has had bad moments on a football field. I've seen him in a dressing room swearing at himself and pulling his shirt for missing a penalty. I heard him saying, 'What have I done?' "Then he would come out in the second half and be the best, dominating the field. That's what made him the best. Beyond technique, it's about getting up again. "It is about knowing what to do with what happens to you, what solution you bring to what you encounter. Not playing the victim, but taking it with responsibility." Messi's passion for the game and winning attitude were also echoed by Josef Martinez, another former team-mate who played with the Argentine maestro at Inter Miami, reports the Mirror US. The Venezuelan, who briefly shared a changing room with Messi in Florida before moving to CF Montreal, was taken aback by the Argentine superstar's down-to-earth nature and meticulous habits. "Everything changed in a day. I swear. It was shocking," said Martinez. "You see him sitting there, and he's the most normal person I've ever seen in my life, and he's famous. "Not even God is as well-known as he is. Seeing him sitting there was something impressive: folding his shirt, matching his uniform with his watch, and shoes with his shirt. "He would sit down, and you'd say: 'Wow!' He'd greet you normally. That, despite being a guy who has won everything, he always arrived first for training." Martinez continued, adding that Messi raised the standards of everyone in his squad, as he claimed: "He was great with us, he was great with me. And you felt you had to be at his same level." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
‘Nervous' Emma Raducanu enjoys win with Katie Boulter in rare doubles outing
Raducanu had before this played doubles just once, partnering Clara Tauson in round one of the 2022 Washington Open, and alongside Boulter was fully backed by the home crowd on the packed and more intimate Court One. The WTA 500 event marks the first time in 52 years Queen's has hosted women's tennis, and while the pairing of British number one Boulter and number two Raducanu were not quite ready to submit their entries to Wimbledon, there were hugs and fist-pumps aplenty as they got their grass court seasons underway. 'I was actually very nervous before the match,' said 2021 US Open champion Raducanu, who will take on Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa in her opening singles match on Tuesday afternoon. 'I don't know if you could tell, but, yeah, probably more nervous than the singles, because I just didn't necessarily know what to do. 'I'm really happy once we got out there, Katie made me feel so comfortable, and I'm just so pleased to get a win.' This Queen's partnership, Raducanu revealed, came 'spontaneously', after a few close calls where she and Boulter nearly joined forces at Madrid, Paris and Miami. Asked it could extend as far as Wimbledon, Raducanu replied: 'We haven't spoken about it. It worked pretty well, so we're just going to keep on trying to do as best we can this week.' Boulter joked: 'Scrap what she said – we're going for the Wimbledon title! No, I'm just kidding.' Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter were in good spirits (John Walton/PA) The British pair claimed an early break in the first set and extended their lead to 4-2 before Wu and Jiang drew level at 4-4. Boulter and Raducanu broke back and eventually claimed the opening set, converting their second set point. Momentum in their favour, the Britons made quicker work of the pair from China and Chinese Taipei in the second set, sealed emphatically by Raducanu's volley. Fans on social media were quick to complain that the match was not available to watch in full on the BBC, who did occasionally cut to the British pair but focused on the action on the newly-christened Andy Murray Arena, where the three-time grand slam winner was honoured in a morning ceremony. The PA news agency understands contractural considerations between a number of stakeholders – including the WTA and LTA – contributed to the contest being held on the smaller court. PA has contacted the BBC for comment. Raducanu did not mind the venue, adding: 'I think sometimes on the smaller courts youb get a bigger feel for the match, the atmosphere and the environment, because it's a lot closer, more intimate, and you hear the support more. 'For me, I love playing on those smaller, outside courts where you really feel the support and the crowd gets into it. I was filling my bottle up, and I was literally having a chat in the stands because that's how close it is.' Elsewhere, British number three Sonay Kartal got her singles campaign off to a winning start with a 6-1 3-6 6-3 victory over Australia's world number 16 Daria Kasatkina.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Former Premier League star 'agrees contract termination with Barcelona' and 'joins LaLiga rivals' ahead of the Club World Cup
Former Tottenham defender Clement Lenglet has reportedly reached an agreement with Barcelona to terminate his contract and has signed with LaLiga rivals Atletico Madrid ahead of the Club World Cup. The Frenchman, who spent a season on loan in north London, had been in negotiations to end his deal with the Blaugrana since the end of the campaign, according to reports in Spain. An agreement was finally reached on Monday, report Marca, while ESPN claim that the 29-year-old has signed a three-year deal with Atletico. Lenglet had two years remaining on his contract with Barca which was set to earn him a staggering gross sum of €16million (£13.4m). All parties reportedly reached a deal that will see the defender reduce his salary, with Barcelona paying a portion of his deal. Lenglet spent last season on loan in the Spanish capital, making 34 appearances across all competitions under Diego Simeone. Having signed for Barcelona in a 2018 transfer from Sevilla worth £25m, Lenglet quickly fell out of favour and had a loan spell with Aston Villa in addition to temporary stays with Spurs and Atletico. Simeone 's side are set to jet off to the United States to compete in the inaugural competition, with their campaign getting underway against European champions Paris Saint-Germain on June 15. The LaLiga side are also set to face MLS outfit Seattle Sounders and Brazilian side Botafogo in Group B. Lenglet has been capped 16 times at international level for France and was part of their squad for the Nations League Finals, playing 72 minutes in the 5-4 semi-final defeat by Spain. He made 40 appearances in the Premier League during his time in north London and the west Midlands.
