Real Madrid secured a spot in the Clásico against three-time champions Barcelona in the women’s Champions League quarterfinals by defeating Paris FC 2-0 on Wednesday.
Striker Naomie Feller scored the opening goal, while Melween N’Dongala inadvertently scored an own goal, allowing Madrid to advance with a 5-2 aggregate after previously winning the first leg in Paris 3-2.
–Explore Women’s Champions League on Disney+: Schedule, format, and more
Paris faced an uphill battle when defender Thea Greboval was sent off in the fifth minute for fouling Feller as she raced towards the goal.
Despite being a player down, Paris nearly took the lead in the 19th minute at Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano, but Océane Picard’s low shot was skillfully saved by goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez.
Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images
Attacking midfielder Caroline Weir missed a penalty opportunity in the 36th minute after Picard handled a cross, as goalkeeper Mylene Chavas, against her former team, saved the shot with both hands.
Feller broke the deadlock in the 54th minute with a close-range volley following an excellent cross from right back Eva Navarro, who also assisted on the second goal when her cross led to N’Dongala’s own goal near the penalty spot.
The revamped format of the women’s Champions League now mirrors the men’s tournament, featuring a league phase of six rounds instead of eight.
The top four teams in the 18-team league phase—Barcelona, OL Lyonnes, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich—progressed directly to the quarterfinals, while teams ranked fifth to twelfth entered the playoffs.
Contributed to this report by The Associated Press.