BarcelonaStories with happy endings don’t always start well. Sometimes it takes desire, tenacity and effort to overcome an adverse situation. And that’s how the match against Bayern at Camp Nou went (3-0): a battle against time that started with an apathetic Barça. The players led by Jonatan Giráldez have been thick, led by an Aitana Bonmatí who has worked hard to lead a team that has seemed lost on the green. Thanks to a hopeful second half, the culers have revived and got revenge on a Bayern that managed to beat them in the pre-season.
With the first two stands of the Camp Nou full, the Blaugranas have safely taken to the pitch. While the footballers had lost their gaze when the solemn anthem of the women’s Champions League played, the desire for a magical night was breathed in the temple. A desire that may have played against them in the premises.
Barça was thick, slow and indecisive. There was one more march left, the Blaugrana have entrusted themselves to the talent of a brilliant Aitana Bonmatí. Always intelligent, with a vision of the field and of the game reserved only for the chosen ones, the Catalan has been the beacon of the team. The Sant Pere de Ribes midfielder served as captain without the armband and put the team on her back when the circulation of the ball was not quite flowing. He has carried the baton of the Barça team since the referee signaled the start of the match and, thanks to his delicatessen, has made the stadium roar. In fact, great scoring opportunities have come from his boots, such as a powerful shot from outside the balcony of the area, which surprised Grohs but violently collided with the crossbar.
Faced with an intense Bayern, but which did not bother them, Barça was their own enemy. The lack of ideas and the thickness on the grass have been the stone in the shoe that has caused Jonatan Giráldez’s team to not have found the key to the game (or almost the way to goal). The Blaugranas, who almost always meet without looking at each other, have not finished connecting. It wasn’t because of a lack of ideas, but because everything seemed cumbersome, heavy. With one gear less.
The break has made it possible to regain clarity. The spoons have come out to bite, leaving aside speculation and containment. With their claws out, the home team lifted the Camp Nou in the 47th minute. Geyse almost headed in a cross from Ana Maria Crnogorcevic that bounced off the right post before crossing the goal line. With the 1-0 lead, and with the pressure to open the scoring already evaporated, the Blaugrana have started to have a good time.
And if Aitana Bonmatí is there when things go wrong, it’s also up to her to enjoy when everything goes right. Freer after the team started fueling, she was able to let loose, take the pressure off herself and slide onto the green as only she can. The midfielder took advantage of a strong pass from Rolfö and, first, beat Grohs with a very tight shot at the first post to give peace of mind (2-0). And shortly after Pina started an “oh” from the more than 46,000 fans gathered in the Blaugrana stadium. Montcada i Reixac has scored a real goal from outside the area: with a dry and powerful shot it has loaded the cobwebs of the left corner of the German goal.
With the game under control, there was time for changes, which gave us a magical moment with the entry of Bruna Vilamala onto the pitch. He missed both games at the Camp Nou last season and after recovering from the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right leg, this Thursday he was finally able to set foot on the turf of the stadium he has visited so many times since she is small
Once again, the Blaugrana have shown that occupying the Camp Nou turf is not a gift, it is a merit achieved based on effort and sacrifice. The Blaugrana stadium has opened its doors again to welcome the team led by Jonatan Giráldez and the fans have responded again, despite what many want to sell. Gathering 46,967 fans in the stands of the temple for a game in the group stage of the Champions League, on a Thursday afternoon, is no joke. It is further proof that women’s football is here to stay and that, no matter how much some may doubt it, it is a fad and does not intend to give up the ground it has conquered.
