FC Barcelona kicked off their bid to reclaim the Champions League title with a stunning show of dominance, sending a powerful message to every contender in Europe by demolishing Bayern Munich 7–1 in their European season opener.
If anyone wondered whether the wounds from Lisbon had healed, the answer was clear the moment Barça stepped onto the pitch.
The Catalan players oozed hunger, power, joy, and above all, pure football.
The new format handed them a top-tier debut — at home, against the Bundesliga co-leader and last season’s European quarterfinalist — but Bayern quickly found themselves reduced to mere spectators in Barça’s exhibition of superiority.
The visitors’ clean sheet lasted less than four minutes. That’s how long it took for Alexia Putellas to make a global statement with a spectacular strike.
This could well be a special season for the captain, who seems to have the perfect script in mind — one that ends with her lifting Barcelona’s fourth Champions League trophy in Oslo.
With her trademark left-footed finish, Alexia reminded everyone who ranked her fourth in the Ballon d’Or just how much natural talent she possesses and how long she’s been dazzling the world with it. A kiss to the badge, a bow to the fans, and back to business.
Barça’s machine kept rolling mercilessly. From a well-worked corner, María León sent a cross to the far post, where Irene Paredes connected almost perfectly — the goalkeeper Mahmutovic managed to get a fingertip on it, but the ball fell to striker Pajor, who finished acrobatically.
As often happens in these one-sided encounters, the third goal was inevitable. A slick exchange between Alexia and Brugts ended with the Dutch forward cutting through the middle of the box and firing home.
At 3–0 before the half-hour mark, Barça momentarily relaxed — and Bayern took advantage. Klara Bühl, who was once set to join the Catalans before the club withdrew their offer due to financial constraints, punished a defensive lapse from María León to pull one back.
It was only a brief illusion. Before halftime, Salma Paralluelo capped off a flawless first half, converting a brilliant combination between Aitana Bonmatí and Brugts to make it 4–1.
The fifth arrived early in the second half, courtesy of Pajor once again, following an excellent recovery and assist from Brugts, with Alexia delivering the final pass on a silver platter.
The scoreline could have been even more lopsided had VAR not intervened twice — first to rule out a Bayern goal for Schüller’s offside, and then to cancel a strike from Paredes after Aitana’s cross had gone just beyond the goal line.
For Barça, it wouldn’t be a proper night without the motto “no Pina, no party.” The No. 9 came off the bench and delighted the 4,409 fans at the Estadi Johan Cruyff with a five-minute brace to seal the match and a dazzling European debut.
If this performance is any indication of what’s to come in their Champions League campaign, Barça fans might as well mark their calendars for the penultimate weekend of May — because Oslo is calling.
