Barcelona and Real Madrid’s UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinal will be one for the history books, with the two clubs set to face off in front of a record crowd at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

The second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal is the third El Clásico women’s rivalry game in the last month, with Barcelona holding a 2-0 record over Real Madrid and a 3-1 aggregate lead in the Champions League battle.

Tickets for Wednesday’s marquee match sold out two months ahead of time. Barcelona’s women’s team has played at the historic Camp Nou stadium just once before. That 50th-anniversary game between Barcelona and Espanyol, honoring the first women’s game ever played at the venue, was held behind closed doors without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This time, over 80,000 spectators will be in attendance. If that number holds, the match will break the record for the largest attendance at a women’s domestic club game. Barcelona currently holds the domestic club record, with 60,739 showing up to the team’s 2019 game against Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas visited Camp Nou often as a child, but she never imagined herself playing in the stadium. The 28-year-old star is trying her best to keep a level head amid the excitement of the moment.

“I have been in Camp Nou so many times all my life. Tomorrow is me playing, but at the end of the day, it’s the same as Johan Cruyff field,” Putellas told reporters on Tuesday, referring to their usual home stadium that seats 6,000 spectators. “I think the time has come … we, the players, feel now empowered and ready to play in front of so many people, such a large audience.”

The game will also serve as a celebration of the growth of women’s soccer and a push for equity. The words “More than Empowerment” will appear on the Lateral terrace as a reminder of its significance.

“I believe that tomorrow can be the start of a new era, because at the end of the day, tomorrow’s match is going to be inspiring for so many girls, I am guessing, that will be coming tomorrow to Camp Nou or who will be seeing us from TV,” Putellas said. “They will be seeing women playing in Camp Nou, and I am sure in the future, in the mid or long run, we will be collecting the fruits of tomorrow’s match.”

The bubbling enthusiasm off the pitch will almost certainly be matched by the intensity on the pitch, with both sides eager to meet the moment.

“Of course, we are aware of the fact that players have a special feeling regarding tomorrow’s match, but when it comes to preparation and training, nothing has changed,” said Barcelona coach Jonatan Giráldez.

Barcelona, the reigning UEFA Champions League winners, are considered by many to be the most dominant club in women’s soccer. The team enters Wednesday’s second leg on a staggering 35-game win streak across all competitions. Barcelona clinched the league title for the third straight season with a 5-0 rout of Real Madrid on March 13, adding to their 25-0 Primera División record.

Putellas, the 2021 Ballon d’Or winner, leads Barcelona’s Champions League campaign with seven goals and two assists. Midfielder Jennifer Hermoso is next with four goals in five matches. Deploying a possession-minded playing style, Barcelona is one of the hardest clubs for opponents to break down.

That’s just what Real Madrid will try to do, however, in their Champions League duel. The feat, while a tall order, isn’t impossible. Real Madrid stunned Barcelona in the first leg of the quarterfinal last week when Olga Carmona put her side up 1-0 in the eighth minute, forcing the visitors to mount a second-half comeback behind a brace from Putellas.

“Of course, it’s very useful to start losing a match. We don’t like it, but it’s useful,” Giráldez siad of Barcelona’s come-from-behind win. “Mentally, we need to be ready to pull ourselves together, do things better, catch up.”

Expecting Madrid to come out pressing and attacking, Barcelona will look to maintain possession and dictate the game’s tempo from the opening whistle.

“We want more every time,” Barcelona midfielder Ingrid Syrstad Engen said. “In Barcelona, it’s not enough to win, it’s about how you play, and I think that’s in the roots of this team,”

Barcelona will advance to the Champions League semifinals if they can maintain or improve upon their 3-1 aggregate lead.

The historic game kicks off Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET, streaming for free in the United States on DAZN’s UEFA Women’s Champions League YouTube channel.

Clare Brennan is an associate editor at Just Women’s Sports.

FC Barcelona’s new documentary series called “Matchday – Queens of the Pitch” will air Friday. The series aims to provide an inside look at the historic 2020-21 Barcelona Women’s season.

Barcelona won the league, the cup and the UEFA Women’s Champions League last season, completing the historic treble for the first time in club history.

As a result, the awards continued to roll in, with Alexia Putellas winning the 2021 Ballon d’Or and Best FIFA Women’s Player of 2021. Jennifer Hermoso was among the finalists for both awards.

The club has had a record-breaking start to 2022, selling out Camp Nou for their upcoming Champions League quarterfinal game.

The series will run in six, 30-minute episodes produced by Barca Studios. It will be available in Catalan, Spanish and English with the first two episodes available on Barca TV+. The first episode will be free while the rest will require a subscription.

Barcelona has sold out their Women’s Champions League quarterfinal game against Real Madrid at Camp Nou in March.

Over three days, the Spanish club sold 85,000 tickets to the game, which will be the first in front of fans at Camp Nou in Barcelona women’s history. Club members had the option to claim tickets for free.

Barcelona previously set a record for attendance at a women’s club soccer game, when 60,739 fans watched them play Atletico at the Wanda Metropolitano in 2019.

The reigning Champions League winners typically play their league matches at Johan Cruyff Stadium, a facility with a 6,000-fan capacity. The quarterfinal game on March 30 will be the club’s second ever played at Camp Nou.

Barcelona has sold over 70,000 tickets to the club’s Women’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid at Camp Nou in March.

The Spanish team announced the news in a post to Twitter on Friday, two days after the tickets were initially put on sale.

Barcelona allowed club members to claim tickets for free and offered other discounts to encourage attendance.

In 2019, Barcelona and Atletico set a record for attendance at a women’s club game, hosting 60,739 fans at the Wanda Metropolitano. With a capacity of 99,354, Camp Nou is the largest football stadium in Europe, presenting Barcelona with the opportunity to break its 2019 record.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, attendance is currently capped at 70,000, but that could change come March in what is expected to be a sellout event.

Barcelona typically plays their league matches at Johan Cruyff Stadium, a facility with a 6,000-fan capacity.

Barcelona women’s first Champions League match at Camp Cou has sold over 50,000 tickets in just over 24 hours.

It was announced on Monday that the first leg of the Women’s Champions League quarter final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid would be held at Camp Nou. The match is scheduled to take place on March 30.

It will be just the second time that the Barcelona women will play in Camp Nou since becoming a professional team.

Barcelona had quite the year last season, winning the league, cup and the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the first time in club history. Alexia Putellas was named the 2021 Ballon d’Or winner and was recently named to the shortlist for the 2021 FIFA Women’s Player of the Year.

Alexia Putellas has been named the 2021 Ballon d’Or winner, awarded to the best female footballer. She is the first Spanish player to win the award since 1960.

The 27-year-old Barcelona captain had a banner year on the field. She helped the club capture their first Champions League crown with a 4-0 defeat of Chelsea in the final, rounding out a season that included winning the Primera Division and Copa de la Reina.

Putellas maintained her place among Europe’s best, finishing the 2020-21 season as the highest-scoring midfielder with 26 goals. She was also named UEFA’s Women’s Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year.

Putellas’ teammate, Jennifer Hermoso, finished second while Chelsea’s Sam Kerr came in third.

Vivianne Miedema, who was named the 2021 BBC Women’s Football of the Year, finished fourth.

Women’s Ballon D’Or Top Ten

1. Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/Spain, midfielder)
2. Jennifer Hermoso (Barcelona/Spain, forward)
3. Sam Kerr (Chelsea/ Australia, forward)
4. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal/Netherlands, forward)
5. Lieke Martens (Barcelona/Netherlands, midfielder)
6. Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns/Canada, forward)
7. Pernille Harder (Chelsea/Denmark, midfielder)
8. Ashley Lawrence (Paris Saint-Germain/Canada, defender)
9. Jessie Fleming (Chelsea/Canada, midfielder)
10. Fran Kirby (Chelsea/England, forward)

Barcelona secured third place in the Women’s International Champions Cup on Saturday, beating the Houston Dash 3-2 in a lively offensive matchup.

Ana Crnogorcevic opened up scoring in the game’s 34th minute, launching a shot over Jane Campbell to give Barcelona the early 1-0 lead.

Houston equalized early in the second half off a well-placed set-piece from Rachel Daley. Katie Naughton, getting on the end of the Dash free kick, forced a Barcelona own goal to tie the game at 1-1.

Shea Groom put Houston out in front in the 63rd minute, nodding down a cross from Jasmyne Spencer for the go-ahead goal.

Barcelona tied the game up once again in the 72nd minute with Alexia Putellas converting a penalty from the line to equalize.

Putellas struck again in the 78th minute, rifling a screamer from the top of the box to put Barcelona up 3-2.

Barcelona was able to preserve their one-goal lead until the final whistle, securing third place in the Women’s International Champions Cup.

The Spanish club now gears up for their regular season, which begins in September, while the Dash continue their playoff push in the NWSL.

The Women’s International Champions Cup got off to an exhilarating start in a matchup between Lyon and Barcelona on Wednesday in Portland.

Back-and-forth play left the score tied 2-2 late into the game. Melvine Malard’s goal in the 85th minute put Lyon ahead 3-2 and helped the French side advance to the final of the exhibition tournament.

 

Mariona Caldentey scored both of Barcelona’s goals, while Amel Majri and Amadine Henry added one each for Lyon.

Malard earned Player of the Match honors for her late heroics in Lyon’s win.

Lyon will play the Portland Thorns in the WICC final on Saturday night. Barcelona will face the Houston Dash, who lost to the Thorns on penalty kicks Wednesday, in the third-place game.

International soccer is coming back to the United States.

The Women’s International Champions Cup announced on Tuesday that the 2021 tournament will be held at Providence Park in Portland this August.

The competition will include the Portland Thorns, the Houston Dash, Olympique Lyonnais and FC Barcelona.

The four participating teams qualified for the tournament based on 2020 title wins — Portland won the NWSL’s Fall Series, Houston won the Challenge Cup, Lyon won the Champions League, and Barcelona won the Primera División.

Despite the squads being chosen based on last year’s results, all four have had spectacular 2021 records as well, with the Thorns winning the NWSL Challenge Cup and Barcelona capturing the Champions League title.

The powerhouse clubs will meet in Portland this summer on August 18 and 21, just after the Olympic break. For those watching from home, ESPN has signed on as the official broadcaster.

The tournament will be one to watch as Lyon seeks to defend their 2019 International Champions Cup title, while Barcelona pursues a fitting end to a perfect season, and the NWSL squads strive to prove themselves against international competition.

Barcelona jumped out to an early lead in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final and never let up in a 4-0 win over Chelsea.

Just seconds into the game, Barcelona capitalized on a failed Chelsea clearance that led to an own goal from Melanie Leupolz. Barcelona forward Lieke Martens’ initial shot hit off the crossbar, causing chaos in Chelsea’s box and eventually ricocheting off two Chelsea players and into the goal.

Only 13 minutes later, Barcelona struck again when Jenni Hermoso was taken down in the box, drawing a foul. Alexia Putellas converted the penalty kick to put Barcelona up 2-0 over Chelsea.

Barcelona, unyielding, continued to punish Chelsea’s defense, scoring again in the 21st minute. After a clever build-up play, Aitana Bonmati made a darting run into the box to beat her defender and slot the ball into the back of the net, giving Barcelona a comfortable 3-0 lead.

With Chelsea struggling to maintain possession, Barcelona continued to push on the attack.

In the 36th minute, Martens again picked apart Chelsea’s defense, beating her defender down the flank and setting up Caroline Graham Hansen, who punched in Barcelona’s fourth goal.

Chelsea started the second half with more possession, as Barcelona opted to sit back and absorb the Blues’ attacks. Despite getting numbers up, Chelsea couldn’t get organized enough to pose an offensive threat in the final third.

As a result, Barcelona managed to uphold their 4-0 first-half lead until the final whistle, securing the win.

The win gave Barcelona their first Women’s Champions League title in club history and capped a perfect season. Barcelona went undefeated in their 26 league games.