FC Barcelona's women's team beat Real Madrid 7-0 at the Camp Nou on Sunday, the biggest margin in the history of the fixture. The result extended the Catalan club's perfect start to the Spanish Liga F season to six wins from six games.
Clàudia Pina was the star, scoring four times in the first half, in the 4th, 28th, 32nd and 45th minutes. Caroline Graham Hansen added a fifth in the 33rd minute, so Barcelona led 5-0 at the break. After the interval the hosts eased off. Ewa Pajor scored the sixth on a counter-attack about ten minutes into the second half. Swiss midfielder Sydney Schertenleib completed the rout in the 88th minute with a long-range shot into the far corner, described by one report as the goal of the night. El País said Patri Guijarro controlled the match from start to finish in midfield.
More than 40,000 spectators were reportedly in attendance, a record for the Spanish women's league. Among the Barcelona starters were two Dutch internationals: Esmee Brugts and 19-year-old centre-back Renee van Asten, who was playing at the Camp Nou for the first time after joining from Ajax and returning from injury only days earlier.
The win came despite a major squad overhaul. Over the summer Barcelona lost several prominent players whose contracts expired, including Salma Paralluelo, Mapi León, Ona Batlle and two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas. Reports link the cost-cutting partly to helping the club's men's side comply with Spanish Financial Fair Play rules. Even so, Barcelona, eleven-time Spanish champions and the reigning European champions, have the league's best attack with 28 goals and its best defence, with only two conceded.
Real Madrid only founded a women's team in 2019 and quickly became Spain's second-strongest side, but they have been unable to challenge Barcelona's dominance. Sources differ on their current league position: one report has them second on 13 points, another places them third behind city rivals Madrid CFF.
The scoreline underlines how wide the gap remains at the top of Spanish women's football, even after Barcelona's squad was weakened by departures. Barcelona lead the table on 18 points.