Barça goes into the last national team break of the year as the undisputed leader of League F having added all 30 points at stake. With an eleven of circumstances due to the numerous casualties, the Blaugrana team managed to beat Athletic Club (0-4) in a packed Lezama. Graham Hansen, Torrejón, Patri Guijarro and Aitana scored the goals and the Norwegian also scored three assists in a new display.
Barça continues to struggle at the start of the game. In Lezama, he dominated, but without clear chances in the first minutes. Of course, Giráldez had to resort to an eleven with the least common ones due to an infirmary that continues to grow. Mapi León (cervical pain) and Oshoala (hamstring discomfort) were the last to join a list followed by Irene Paredes (tonsillitis), Cata Coll (gastroenteritis) and Alexia (knee discomfort). Casualties in recent weeks that add to those already known of Rolfö, Bruna Vilamala and Jana Fernàndez.
The Blaugrana team needed a lot of effort to convert their dominance into occasions, with Marta Torrejón dressing as a forward, accumulating shots on the Nanclares goal until the goal came in the 35th minute. An exquisite cross from Graham Hansen that the winger finished into the back of the net. The Catalan defense was even on the verge of scoring the second shortly after, but the red and white goalkeeper thwarted her shot.
The Norwegian winger was the other main protagonist of the first half, displaying her usual dominance on the right wing and testing the local goalkeeper’s reflexes. Just before the break, Athletic surprised Barça in a poorly defended counterattack that, fortunately for the Catalans, ended without any major complications.
The second half began with good news for the Blaugrana, who extended the lead as soon as it began thanks to a great goal from Caroline Graham Hansen. The Norwegian started from the left, looked for the center, got rid of two rivals along the way and put together a powerful tight shot. Nanclares touched it, but not enough to prevent it from entering.
Despite the score, Athletic continued to look for Sandra Paños’ goal and David Aznar moved the bench to introduce provocations with which to turn the score around. He gave the Blaugrana some scares, but Giráldez also introduced changes, bringing on none other than Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí or Salma Paralluelo, author of a double on Wednesday against Eintracht. He also gave minutes to some of the young players in the reserve team, including Giulia Dragoni. International with Italy in the last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, he debuted with the first team
In the final minutes, Barça sealed the game with a new stellar assist from Graham Hansen, which Patri Guijarro only had to push to make the score 0-3. But there would still be time for a fourth, a true goal after a double wall between Aitana Bonmatí and Graham Hansen that culminated that of Sant Pere de Ribes.
The F League now faces the last national team break, in which Spain plays for a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games against Italy and Sweden. The coach Montse Tomé was present in Lezama and did not miss any details of the match between the Basques and Catalans. After the international window, it will be time to face the last two weeks of competition in 2023 in which Barça will have to travel to Tenerife for the last day of the League and to Sweden to face Rosengard, a rival against whom they will close the year at the Johan Cruyff on the 21st. from December.
