Graham Hansen and Pina braces as Barça beat Roma 6-0

Barcelona ran out 6-0 winners away to Roma on Wednesday, a result that extends their winning start in the Women's Champions League and gives them further momentum before Sunday's Liga F Clásico against Real Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou. The European champions scored six for the second successive match, with Caroline Graham Hansen and Claudia Pina each getting a brace, Ewa Pajor adding one and Roma defender Oladipo scoring an own goal.

Pere Romeu named the same starting eleven that had beaten Paris FC, and the visit of Real Madrid to Camp Nou gave the evening an added edge, with several players returning to fitness and three members of Spain's Under-20 World Cup-winning squad getting minutes.

Graham sets the tone

Roma tried to use the space behind Barcelona's high line in the opening exchanges, but the visitors controlled possession and positional play, and Graham was a threat from the outset. The Norwegian winger popped up between the lines and ran at the right flank repeatedly.

Her goal came from a solo burst. Collecting the ball in midfield, she drove past opponents before finishing neatly past Baldi to open the scoring on 19 minutes.

Graham then went close to a second, turning a Pajor pass towards goal only for Baldi to block. Chances followed from both full backs, through Sydney Schertenleib and Esmee Brugts, and then Schertenleib again. The second goal did arrive before the interval, though fortuitously, as neat play between Brugts and Pina saw Graham attempt to find the latter, only for the ball to be turned into her own net by Oladipo for 0-2 on 39 minutes.

A relentless second half

Barcelona led by two at the break and very nearly by three, with Pina striking a defender in added time after the goalkeeper had come off her line. Her goal was not long in coming.

Serrajordi won the ball back, Pajor provided the assist, and the No 9 finished with a cross shot to make it 0-3 on 54 minutes. Three more would follow before the end, though the best effort of the night did not go in, with Patri coming within centimetres from the edge of midfield.

Graham then struck again, showing a change of pace to shake off her marker before stroking in the fourth on the hour. Off the pitch the news was just as encouraging, as Romeu was able to give Aitana half an hour, introduce the three Under-20 world champions Aïcha, Carla Julià and Rosalía, and welcome back Van Asten from injury.

Pina got her second with a shot from the edge of the area that took a heavy deflection on 75 minutes, and Pajor then made it six on 85, her third Champions League goal of the season.

Team news and what comes next

Irene Paredes was booked in a match refereed by Kirsty Dowle. Aitana came on in the 64th minute, Van Asten in the 76th, and the Under-20 trio Aïcha, Carla Julià and Rosalía were all used from the bench.

Barcelona now turn to Sunday's Liga F Clásico against Real Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou, with the side in good shape and the squad depth on show in Rome.

SportsLigue