Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain secured victories away from home in the opening leg of the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The reigning champions, Barcelona, clinched a 2-1 win against Norwegian side Brann, with Salma Paralluelo netting the decisive goal in the 72nd minute, marking her sixth goal of the season in the competition.
Caroline Graham Hansen initially put Barcelona ahead with a deflected shot early in the game, while Cecilie Kvamme leveled the score for Brann before halftime.
Reflecting on the challenging encounter, Graham Hansen acknowledged the difficulty of away games in the quarterfinals but expressed satisfaction with the win, emphasizing the need to complete the task in the return leg.
Meanwhile, PSG secured a 2-1 victory over Häcken in Gothenburg, with Tabitha Chawinga scoring the winning goal in the 74th minute. Despite the win, PSG coach Jocelyn Precheur expressed disappointment with the team’s offensive performance and highlighted the need for improvement in future matches.
In the other quarterfinal clashes on Tuesday, Lyon and Chelsea also secured away wins. Lyon came from behind to defeat Benfica 2-1, while Chelsea claimed a 3-0 victory against Ajax. The second legs of these matchups are scheduled for next week, with PSG and Barcelona set to play on Thursday, followed by Chelsea and Lyon on Wednesday.
