Athletic Club 0-3 Barça Women: Win before the international break

It's a 22nd straight win in the Liga Iberdrola. Barça visited an Athletic Club side who came into the match in good form having won 4 out of their last 5 league matches. An injury to Hansen led to a change on the right for the visitors, with her replacement Mariona just back from injury herself.

Made to wait for the lead

The first-half began under bright and breezy conditions, with Athletic Club having the first shot on goal after just 3 minutes. Barça were finding it hard to settle into their passing rhythm but were starting to grow into the game and Oshoala had a shot saved off the line after a corner on 14 minutes.

A good tussle was developing between Paredes and García - who looked the home side’s main threat. Misplaced passes were allowing Athletic Club to break quick from midfield albeit without threatening the Barça goal.

Barça stepped up the pressure, though, a 25th minute cross from Mariona saw a save from Oshoala, before a Leila header was cleared off the line. Alexia had two shots from outside the area before Marta Torrejón fired in another. Martens then received the ball on the half-turn and shot over.

Paredes then went off injured after 35 minutes, replaced by Pereira. This seemed to upset the Barca defence for a while, culminating in Athletic Club firing a ball across the box that they couldn’t finish. Barca’s pressure finally paid off in the 42nd minute, when Marta Torrejón intercepted just outside the Athletic Club box, Martens fed Oshoala, whose shot was saved by the keeper, before Marta Torrejón fired in the rebound to make the score 0-1 at the break.

Control after early second-half strikes

It only took Barça 5 minutes to score after the restart, Marta Torrejón lofting in a lovely assist from the inside right channel that Oshoala finished into the left corner to make it 0-2 after showing quick feet. Athletic Club remained a threat on transition when Barca misplaced passes, but the game was essentially done and dusted soon after. “Mapi” Leon took a corner that was cleared to outside the box, Martens hooked it back in over her head and Mariona finished with a controlled volley into the corner after a rebound.

Coach Jonatan Giráldez then immediately rang the changes: Rolfö for Leila, Engen for Patri, and Aitana for Oshoala, with Pina coming on later to replace Mariona who picked up a yellow card. The corner count continued to mount and despite chances for Hermoso, Alexia (2), and Aitana, the scored remained 0-3 in what proved to be a comfortable 22nd straight Liga Iberdrola win in the end.

Match stats

Athletic Club, 0
FC Barcelona, 3

Athletic Club: Quiñones, Oihane, Valdezate, Garazi, Moraza, M. Unzué (Oguiza, min. 46), Itxaso, Azkona (Erika, min. 82), Peke (Arana, min. 72), Eunate, L. García.

FC Barcelona: Paños, Marta Torrejón, Paredes (Andrea Pereira, min. 35), Mapi León, Leila (Rolfö, min. 63), Patri (Engen, min. 63), Alexia, Mariona (Claudia Pina, min. 73), Jenni Hermoso, Oshoala (Aitana, min. 63), Martens.

Goals: 0-1, Torrejón (min. 42); 0-2, Oshoala (min. 50); 0-3, Mariona (min. 62)

Referee: Martínez Madrona, Mariona was shown a yellow card.