Barcelona DNA Shines In Clasico Rout, Says Romeu

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Barcelona moved close to the Women's Champions League semi-finals after a 6-2 win over Real Madrid, with Pere Romeu praising what was described as the team's DNA. The quarter-final first leg at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano saw Barcelona dominate the Clasico again, leaving Real Madrid needing a huge response in the return match.

Ewa Pajor scored twice in the rout, while Esmee Brugts, Irene Paredes, Vicky Lopez and Alexia Putellas added one goal each. The result gave Barcelona a 22nd win from 23 meetings with Real Madrid in all competitions, with the only other result a single defeat, underlining the existing imbalance between the sides.

Barcelona showed sharp finishing all night, converting six of seven attempts on target. Their attacking play produced an expected goals figure of 3.3, yet the final scoreline went far beyond that. It was Barcelona's biggest winning margin in this season's competition since the opening matchday, when Bayern Munich were beaten 7-1.

Real Madrid struggled to match that attacking threat, creating few clear chances despite occasional promising moments. Linda Caicedo scored twice, including a calm one-on-one finish past Cata Coll that briefly gave Real Madrid hope. Overall, Real Madrid had six shots, four of them on target, but their expected goals total reached only 0.88.

Key numbers from the first leg underline the scale of Barcelona's advantage over Real Madrid across both this tie and the wider rivalry. The table below outlines main scorers and attacking metrics from the match.

Romeu highlighted the way Barcelona reacted after Real Madrid reduced the deficit to 2-1. Real Madrid had just scored when Barcelona immediately replied from a corner, restoring a two-goal cushion. Romeu linked that instant answer to mentality and identity, and looked ahead to upcoming fixtures on Sunday and next Thursday.

"I'm really pleased with the match we played, he said. I'm really pleased with the performance. I'm really pleased because football is all about emotion and passion. They [Madrid] scored to make it 2-1, and in the very next movea corner and a goal. That fills me with a great sense of pride. I think the moment when we conceded [making it 2-1], and then we scored, shows the competitive spirit this team has. It shows our DNA. This is something we need to keep up, and we want to prove it again on Sunday, then next Thursday."

Barcelona vs Real Madrid Women’s Champions League reaction from Pau Quesada

For Real Madrid, the heavy defeat followed a familiar pattern in the women's Clasico, with the team again short of Barcelona's level in key periods. The second-half collapse, especially after set plays, left head coach Pau Quesada reflecting on concentration levels and the difficulty of chasing a side with superior rhythm.

"Everything went wrong, Madrid head coach Pau Quesada said. The team fell apart after the first goal. We then found ourselves 2-1 down, and it looked like we were making a comeback, but the next goal from a set piece finished us off. They were deserved victors. If you lose focus after conceding a goal against opponents like this, they'll run you ragged. The gap to Barca is what it is. They've got that extra gear, and we have to match it. On the day you don't, this is what happens to you."

The 6-2 scoreline leaves Barcelona strongly positioned ahead of the second leg, with a semi-final place within reach. Real Madrid must overturn a four-goal deficit while addressing long-standing problems seen in this rivalry, especially in defence and game management, if there is to be any shift in this Women's Champions League quarter-final.