A solitary strike from Leila El Ouahabi proved the difference between FC Rosengård and FC Barcelona in a hard-fought UEFA Women's Champions League encounter.
Barcelona ahead just before the break
The team in season, Barcelona displayed more discipline in the opening stages, happy to move the ball around and retain possession before probing, their first chance came six minutes in when Jenni Hermoso found space in the box, her shot straight at Zecira Musovic. Rosengård, for their part were more interested in getting the ball forward when they hand it, Sandra Panos called into making her first save during the afters of the hosts' first corner.
It didn’t take long for the game to move its’ boundaries and take place entirely in midfield, with both sides looking in vain for a route through. The two draw a stalemate at the midway point of the first-half, with neither having claimed any new ground, though both had flirted in the final thirds. Though Barca shaded it for the first half hour, the players linking with ease, their passing slick and smooth like dulce de lecce, they had yet to really test Musovic.
Despite a drive from Rosengård late in the half they were dealt a double-blow when first Lotta Schelin was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury and the hosts were down to ten before Sanne Troelsgaard could be readied. With a numerical advantage Barcelona mounted one last attack in stoppage time and despite having Andressa Alves go down in the box amongst a mess of poor defending the Catalonians didn’t receive the penalty they thought they deserved.
However, with the ball still live and no one taking charge for the hosts, Leila El Ouahabi arrived in the box to smash the loose ball into the far corner and break the deadlock on the stroke of half-time.
Rosengård fail to find an equaliser
The response from FCR was swift after the break, the hosts keen to force the issue as Lieke Martens saw a low scoop saved under Panos’ feet. The pressure unrelenting as Rosengård found possession and kept it, pressing and probing, white shirts flocking forward looking for their moment. Having to do a little more work in the second-half, the Barca defence remained alert, with the midfield in front of them dropping to cover, the final third awash with players.
The football more frantic inside of the last ten minutes but the moment of quality just wasn’t there from the attackers, with plenty for the fans to get behind but little to cheer about. A stoppage time free kick for the hosts their last good chance but the whipped ball from Lina Nilsson could only find Martens with a poor header.
With the sides meeting again in seven days time in Spain, there’s still everything to play for.