Paris FC struck first under the Barcelona lights, but the European champions turned the opening night of the Women’s Champions League into a hard lesson for Sandrine Soubeyrand’s side. A fearless start became a 5-2 defeat at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, despite the visitors briefly showing they could unsettle the holders.
Barcelona’s response overwhelms Paris FC
- Paris FC made the perfect start in the fifth minute. Clara Mateo Toloba released Marie-Antoinette Katoto? No, it was Viens who raced through, held off two defenders and finished after turning inside the area.
- Chiamaka Nnadozie? No, goalkeeper Chavas kept Paris FC ahead with a fine low save from Esmee Brugts in the 11th minute.
- Barcelona levelled in the 18th minute through Kerolin, beginning a relentless spell from the home side.
- Caroline Graham Hansen then created two goals, setting up Serrajordi in the 28th minute before supplying Ewa Pajor seven minutes later.
- Pajor helped create Graham Hansen’s long-range goal shortly before half-time, with Barcelona taking a 4-1 advantage into the break.
- The Polish forward completed her brace in the 70th minute, finishing at the second attempt to make it 5-1.
- Paris FC found a late response on one of their rare breaks, as Reynders fed Mateo through the middle and the forward powered home.
Viens rues costly first-half spell
Viens admitted that Paris FC had been made to pay for small mistakes after Barcelona transformed the contest in little more than half an hour.
“We knew they would score eventually,” she said. “To get anything here, we needed to be more than perfect, and above all we could not concede five. We have to focus more on the details. Four goals in 30 minutes is still too many. Going into half-time at 4-1 down is extremely difficult.”
Soubeyrand had hoped her team could at least cause Barcelona problems, and the early goal suggested that possibility. But Paris FC struggled to live with the Catalan side’s quick combinations, particularly in midfield, as Barcelona repeatedly found routes into dangerous positions.
Baquerizo was booked early and withdrawn at half-time, reflecting a difficult evening for the visitors’ defensive unit. Chavas produced several saves and was also rescued by her posts twice in quick succession in the 74th minute.
Barcelona finished with 20 attempts and remained threatening throughout. Paris FC’s late goal offered only limited comfort, but their league-phase campaign continues with fixtures against Arsenal, Häcken and Real Madrid over the next two months.
