Cinderella didn’t have her fairy tale. The Roma of Lesex-Blaugrana Andressa Alves and Vicky Losada couldn’t keep up with FC Barcelona, ??who had to settle for a win for the minimum against a debutant. Jonatan’s team did not manage to close the match and, despite monopolizing the chances of the match, they could not avoid the fear that Giacinti were about to equalize in an agonizing finale. He did not succeed and Barça will try to seal the passage to the semi-finals seven days from now at the Camp Nou.
Without a doubt one of the big names of the day was that of the young Salma Paralluelo. The Aragonese debuted in the Champions League as a starter and more than fulfilled. She overwhelmed the Giallorrosse defense time and again, unable to slow down her speed on the left side, and she also dared to face Caesar’s goal with a confidence that is difficult to see in a footballer who until a year ago combined the football with athletics. A bravery that took her to the front of the area a few minutes before the break, in which she armed her leg and with a powerful pipe adjusted her shot to the millimeter, impossible for the goalkeeper of the Roman team, that he couldn’t do anything about it. And so, Salma Paralluelo scored her first goal in the Champions League 34 minutes after making her debut in Europe.
The goal of the Blaugrana striker was the only one to get on the scoreboard in a first half in which Giráldez’s team dominated and subdued their rival, but in which they also showed signs of unusual quickness. Despite the fact that he dominated every minute of the match, leaving Roma with a poor 34% of possession and forcing him to a titanic physical wear and tear, the lack of tranquility that Aitana Bonmatí, at various times, asked for from the center of the field prevented the Blaugrana from being able to decide the match early.
He came out more leisurely in the second half, enjoying the eternal possessions that characterize the team. Paralluelo came close to scoring an assist to complete his magnificent game, but Oshoala failed the inexplicable in front of Caesar. The Nigerian experienced one of her most frustrating nights and saw how the ball didn’t quite go in even though she tried again and again.
At the end of the game, Giacinti had the equalizer in his boots in an action that was saved providentially by Mapi León, placing his foot to cause the ball to go over the crossbar. Spugna took the opportunity to introduce former Barcelona captain Vicky Losada, who played the last half hour of the game. The changes made by the Roma coach refreshed the team and allowed Roma to stay in the game. Five minutes before the final whistle, Giugliano was about to surprise with a powerful outside shot, but Sandra Paños dressed as a heroine to save Barcelona. The Giallorossi fans could not celebrate, but they did vibrate with a historic night at an Olympic in Rome that broke the attendance record for a women’s football match in Italy with 39,454 spectators.
