Reports: Barcelona Women 5-0 Benfica Women
Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas both scored twice as Barcelona began their defence of the Women’s Champions League title on Tuesday with a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Benfica.
Barcelona are aiming to win the Champions League for the third time in four seasons and their strength in depth was summed up by the presence of six players in their starting line-up who played in August’s World Cup final in Sydney, when Spain beat England 1-0.
A crowd of fewer than 5,000 watched Putellas, who was a substitute in the World Cup final after missing almost all of last season due to a serious knee injury, head in the opener with quarter of an hour played.
Putellas then followed up to make it 2-0 on the line when a header by Esmee Brugts beat the Portuguese side’s goalkeeper, and Bonmati got the third with a composed finish just before the interval.
Putellas was replaced at the break and Bonmati then netted again seven minutes after the restart having been set up by Caroline Graham Hansen.
Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala wrapped up a convincing victory by scoring with an overhead kick just seconds after coming on as a substitute.
“The motivation for this club is to arrive in the Champions League final every year,” Barcelona’s England midfielder Keira Walsh said.
“If you look at the mentality of these girls, that’s what I saw when I came in here.
“It was always, constantly being at the top in training every single day. It’s so competitive and that speaks for itself.”
Also in Group A, Eintracht Frankfurt won 2-1 away to Rosengard of Sweden, with captain Tanja Pawollek opening the scoring before Barbara Dunst netted the second for the Germans, who have won the competition four times.
Captain Olivia Schough pulled a goal back for Rosengard, the Swedish champions.
