On a “magical” night, Barcelona‘s Alexia Putellas expressed her gratitude for record-breaking fan support as the Spanish champions triumphed over Real Madrid, winning 6-0 at Spotify Camp Nou. This victory secured their spot in the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals against Bayern Munich.
The match drew an attendance of 60,067, the highest for either team at Spotify Camp Nou since its reopening following renovations last November.
This attendance also marked the largest in the competition since Barça hosted Chelsea in 2023 (72,262) and it now ranks as the fourth highest ever. Notably, all top four attendance records are held by the Catalans, including the record of 91,648 set against Wolfsburg in 2022.
Putellas scored the opening goal in her 500th appearance for Barça and celebrated by being lifted by her teammates as the crowd chanted her name.
“I feel incredibly loved and am truly grateful,” Putellas shared with Disney+.
“The fans are simply the best. I’ve always said this. One of the greatest aspects of this team is the connection with our supporters; we strive to represent the jersey to the best of our abilities. It’s emotional to witness that connection, right?”
“Words can’t express the feeling I have right now. It’s been magical. About 20 years ago, I was sitting in the corner of this stadium with my family, and today I can say I played my 500th match for the club here.”
“I am so thankful and hope the fans see this as a possibility for themselves; I once stood where they are now. I am human, just like everyone here today, and I believe that one day they can achieve it too.”
Thursday’s clash between Barça and Madrid marked the third Clásico within a week. It began with Barça’s 6-2 victory in the first leg last Wednesday before they went on to win 3-0 in Liga F over the weekend, placing them on the brink of clinching a seventh consecutive league title.
Wednesday’s 6-0 victory, which featured Putellas’ goal along with a brace from Caroline Graham Hansen and additional goals from Irene Paredes, Ewa Pajor, and Esmee Brugts, completed an aggregate score of 12-2 in the Champions League tie.
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Barcelona score six to embarrass Real Madrid in UWCL quarters
Barcelona advance to the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals after a dominating 12-2 aggregate win over Real Madrid.
Putellas remarked on Barça’s determination to approach the game as if the tie were tied, despite their significant lead going into the second leg: “That’s in the DNA of this team. We mentioned it in interviews this week, but the key is to demonstrate it on the pitch, where we feel at home.”
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Now, Bayern Munich stands in the way of Putellas and her teammates as they aim for a sixth consecutive Champions League final.
“This is the most exciting time of the season,” Putellas added. “This is what we train for—to enjoy, and respond on the pitch. I’m thrilled to return to the semifinals against Bayern.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid will regroup and prepare for next season. After beating Barça for the first time last March and reaching their second consecutive Champions League quarterfinal, improvements were noticeable, but this past week revealed the challenges they still face.
Coach Pau Quesada stated, “Kudos to Barça, but we must also reflect and be self-critical. Anything I say now could sound like an excuse. It might be a mental issue, but it’s not limited to that. They are simply superior. They have some of the world’s best players, and that emphasizes the gap we need to close.”
“We rank among the top eight in Europe, but that’s not sufficient when facing such a dominant opponent. We have held our own against teams like Frankfurt, Roma, PSG, and Wolfsburg, even playing away against Arsenal—except for Barça. Of the top 20 players in the world, perhaps half are on their roster. Signing better players is an enormous challenge.”