Real Madrid’s women’s team secured a historic 3-1 victory over Liga F champions Barcelona on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium, marking their first-ever triumph over their fierce rivals.
Despite the defeat, Barcelona, managed by Pere Romeu, remain at the top of the Liga F table, four points clear of second-place Madrid. The match, played under heavy rain and hail before a crowd of nearly 36,000 fans, saw Barcelona suffer only their second loss of the season.
The Catalan side has dominated the Spanish top flight for five consecutive years and claimed a quadruple last season. However, their form this campaign has been less dominant, with a 46-game unbeaten streak in Liga F ending in February when they were beaten by Levante at home, suffering their first-ever domestic defeat at the Johan Cruyff Stadium.
Barcelona midfielder and two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas reflected on the loss, stating: “We’re upset, like the day we lost to Levante at home. It’s part of sport—losing, winning, or drawing. You can never be certain of winning. Over the 90 minutes, we made mistakes, and they took advantage. We’ll correct that and keep moving forward.”
Real Madrid’s women’s team, which was established in 2020 after taking over CD Tacon (founded in 2014), took the lead just before halftime through Alba Redondo. Barcelona equalized in the 67th minute with a goal from Caroline Graham Hansen. However, Barcelona thought they had taken the lead when Jana Fernandez scored, but the goal was controversially ruled offside despite appearing to be onside. With VAR not available in Liga F, the decision stood.
Madrid regained the advantage in the 87th minute thanks to a clinical strike from Scottish attacker Caroline Weir, who sealed the win with another goal in stoppage time.
“It’s special,” said Redondo in an interview with DAZN. “Clasicos are Clasicos, and there was a great atmosphere, playing at a place like Montjuïc. We will keep evolving. We always believed we could beat them. We have a big squad, and they have quality, but we believe we can win every game. Today is a celebration because it’s the first time we’ve done it.”
Looking ahead, Real Madrid will face Arsenal in the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday, holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg. Meanwhile, Barcelona will host Wolfsburg on Thursday with a 4-1 lead.
