The Barça Women lose their first Clásico to a Real Madrid favored by the refereeing (1-3)

Real Madrid finally managed to win a Clásico against FC Barcelona Women this Sunday in Liga F. As could not be otherwise, the 'merengues' had to rely on refereeing assistance to break the azulgrana hegemony. In the 19th match between both clubs, the 'Casa Blanca' was able to take the three points in a match played in Montjuïc marred by controversy (1-3).

Yes, from now on, it is clear that Madrid is also willing to steal to reverse the overwhelming culé dominance in the league. In the 81st minute, with the match tied 1-1, the referee Olatz Rivera sanctioned a non-existent offside by Caroline Graham before Jana Fernández fired at Misa in what would have been the partial 2-1. The lineswoman raised the flag, although defender Mäelle Lakrar clearly kept the Swedish player from Barça onside.

Since there is no VAR in Liga F due to the limited infrastructure available in many stadiums, the decision was irreversible. Towards the end, the 'merengues' took advantage of the confusion of the azulgranas after the angry protest from the entire team, including the bench, to seal the result in their favor. A brace from Caroline Weir in the 87th and 90+6' sealed the final 1-3, with a Barça team completely focused on attack.

The Barça Women did not have a good afternoon in Montjuïc

The culés, while dominating possession (69%), did not have their best afternoon in Montjuïc. In the first half, Pere Romeu's team lacked clarity in the opponent's area and Madrid went into halftime with a lead, thanks to a goal scored by Alba Redondo in the 41st minute. The introductions of Salma and Jana at halftime gave Barça more freshness in the second half, after 45 minutes where the team lacked the verticality and intensity that characterizes them.

A cross from Mapi León from the left allowed Graham to score, with a header, the equalizer in the 67th and shake off the frustration from the clear goal that the Swede missed in stoppage time of the first half, shooting wide with an empty net from an Alexia pass. With the score at 1-1, a heavy downpour hit in the final stretch that hampered the frantic pace the Catalans needed to achieve a comeback.

The second goal came, but the refereeing tilted the balance in favor of the 'merengues'. With this, the balance in Clásicos stands at 18-1 in favor of a Barça that recorded its second defeat in the current league after 23 matches played. Now, the whites are 4 points behind the lead held by the azulgrana team with 63 points. Much further back is Athletic, with 41.

For Pere Romeu's team, it is time to turn the page immediately, as on Thursday they need to close the quarterfinal tie of the Women's Champions League against Wolfsburg at Johan Cruyff. Fortunately, the tie is almost settled after the 1-4 obtained in Germany. On Sunday, the Catalan fans responded again, with a total of 35,812 supporters accompanying the girls in Montjuïc.