Football
2021-22 UEFA Women's Champions League, Quarterfinals
BAR 
5
FT
 RMA
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2nd Leg - Barcelona advance 8-3 on aggregate
Sam Marsden 2y

Barcelona beat Real Madrid in UEFA Women's Champions League in front of record crowd

Barcelona came from behind to beat Real Madrid 5-2 in front of a world-record crowd of 91,553 at Camp Nou on Wednesday as they booked their place in the UEFA Women's Champions League semifinal.

Mapi Leon opened the scoring for Barca early on, but Madrid turned things around with goals on either side of halftime from Olga Carmona and Claudia Zornoza.

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Barca roared back, though, with Aitana Bonmati, Claudia Pina, Alexia Putellas and Caroline Graham Hansen all on target as the reigning European champions advanced to the last four with an 8-3 aggregate win.

Jonatan Giraldez's side -- who have already wrapped up the league title in Spain this season after winning a treble last year -- have now won all 37 matches they have played in all competitions this term and will hope to reaffirm their dominance in the women's game by retaining the Champions League.

The previous record crowd for a women's game has stood since 1999, when 90,185 fans watched the World Cup final between the United States and China at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

It was also the biggest crowd for any game played at Camp Nou this season and the highest since December 2019, when 93,426 saw the men's team held to a goalless draw by Madrid.

"I have no words, honestly," midfielder Putellas told DAZN after the game. "It was magical. The game ended and the fans didn't want to leave. We have that connection.

"They were singing that they want to be in Turin [where the final will be held]. It's incredible. I can only thank them, not just with words, but with hard work every day, competing in every game and trying to win everything."

Barca announced that over 80,000 tickets were sold in three days when they were first made available in January, but there were fears some supporters could stay away on Wednesday as the rain poured down.

However, those fears evaporated when the sun came out and thousands of fans gathered to welcome the team bus to the stadium two hours before kick off.

It was just the second competitive game Barca were playing at Camp Nou and the first with supporters. The previous game was played behind closed doors in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions.

"At the end of the match I had to hold my tears back because this is just too crazy," Graham Hansen told reporters. "It's one thing is to play at Camp Nou, but when it's full, winning 5-2 in the Champions League and the fans aren't leaving, they're staying to celebrate with us!

"I did not imagine anything like it, goosebumps all over the place. It's not only 91,500 here tonight, it's 91.500 Barca fans here tonight and they have been singing all game and it's been amazing. It's something I never dreamt of happening, but we did it and hopefully it's not the last time we do this."

Barca went into the Clasico with a 3-1 lead from the first leg in Madrid and an easy night looked in store when Mapi Leon's cross deceived Misa Rodriguez in the Madrid goal to give them an eighth-minute lead.

However, Madrid also played their part on this historic occasion. Carmona equalised from the spot and when Zornoza scored with a stunning effort from 40 yards just after the break, an unlikely turnaround looked on the cards.

But Barca were on a 41-game winning streak, dating back to last June, for a reason. They quickly levelled through Bonmati and were soon ahead through academy graduate Pina, only included because of injuries to Lieke Martens, Mariona Caldentey and Asisat Oshoala.

Ballon d'Or winner Putellas added the fourth and Norway winger Graham Hansen completed the scoring.

The biggest cheer came minutes before full-time, though, when it was announced that the attendance record for women's football had been beaten. Fans stayed long after the final whistle, celebrating with the Barca players as they gave a lap of honour.

"We celebrated it with them because it's a reason to be happy," added Putellas. "It was, without a doubt, a historic day."

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