Real Madrid vs Barcelona – News and Probable Lineups

Real Madrid Femenino will face off against their fierce rivals Barcelona Women in Wednesday’s Clasico, part of the Women’s Champions League.

Las Blancas are set to host the first leg at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, with the return fixture taking place next week at Camp Nou. The winner will advance to meet either Bayern Munich or Manchester United in the semi-finals.

Match overview

This is the second time Real Madrid has reached the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League, having successfully navigated the league phase and a playoff against Paris FC.

After placing seventh in the league phase, Las Blancas managed to win both legs of their playoff against Paris FC, securing a 3-2 victory in France followed by a 2-0 win at home.

Real Madrid is hoping to surpass their previous quarter-final performance from 2021-22, when they were defeated 8-3 on aggregate by Barcelona.

Las Blancas must cause a significant upset if they are to overcome the three-time European champions, especially considering they have lost 19 out of 20 competitive matches against them.

Their sole victory in their head-to-head encounters came with a 3-1 win at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys last March, but they have suffered defeats in all three competitive encounters this season, with an aggregate score of 10-0.

Despite the challenge ahead, Pau Quesada’s team can take solace in their current form, having won their last seven matches, including five consecutive games without conceding.

Unlike their opponents, Barcelona secured their place directly in the quarter-finals after topping the group stage with 16 points out of a possible 18.

Driven by the disappointment from last season’s final defeat against Arsenal, Barcelona aims to clinch their fourth Women’s Champions League title, having previously claimed victory in 2020-21, 2022-23, and 2023-24.

They are also in pursuit of a quadruple, having already lifted the Spanish Super Cup, built a 10-point lead in Liga F, and secured a spot in next month’s Copa de la Reina against Atletico Madrid.

In the immediate future, Barcelona will have the opportunity to inflict further pain on their rivals next week, facing each other in the quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, in Liga F on Sunday, followed by the second leg next Thursday.

Pere Romeu’s squad heads into the midweek match fresh off a commanding 7-1 home win against Athletic Club, extending their unbeaten streak to 24 competitive matches since suffering a surprise 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad in November (W22, D2).

Barcelona is clearly the favorite to advance from this quarter-final matchup, especially since they have won each of their last seven last-eight games since their defeat to Lyon in the 2017-18 season.

Team News

Real Madrid will be without long-term absentee Teresa Abelleira, while forward Signe Bruun misses her seventh consecutive match.

Defender Maelle Lakrar is set to return to the starting XI after being rested during the tight league victory over Eibar.

Forward Lotte Keukelaar could provide an option off the bench after returning from injury as an unused substitute last Sunday.

For Barcelona, they will be missing two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati, who is continuing her recovery from a leg fracture sustained in December.

Defender Laia Aleixandri is out with an ACL injury suffered during last month’s victory against Real Madrid, while Mapi Leon is sidelined due to an ankle issue.

Goalkeeper Cata Coll will be available for selection after making her first appearance in Saturday’s win over Athletic following a minor knee procedure.

Real Madrid Femenino probable starting XI:

Mass; Navarro, Mendez, Lakrar, Holmgaard; Weir, Toletti, Dabritz; Del Castillo, Caicedo, Redondo

Barcelona Women probable starting XI:

Coll; Battle, Paredes, Camara, Brugts; Lopez, Guijarro, Putellas; Graham Hansen, Pina, Pajor

Barcelona may lack home advantage for the match on Wednesday, but they will be eager to take a significant step towards the semi-finals before heading back to Catalonia for the second fixture, and we believe they will achieve this with a relatively comfortable triumph in the Spanish capital.