FC Barcelona Femení delivered a commanding performance to defeat rivals Real Madrid 6-2 in the first leg of their UEFA Women's Champions League quarterfinal clash. The match, held at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium in Madrid, leaves the Catalan giants with one foot firmly in the semifinals after a dominant display.

Barcelona started explosively, with Ewa Pajor and Esmee Brugts scoring within the first 13 minutes to establish a 2-0 lead. Real Madrid's Colombian forward Linda Caicedo pulled one back for the hosts, but Irene Paredes quickly restored Barcelona's two-goal advantage just two minutes later with a powerful header from a corner.

In the second half, Pajor netted her second goal of the night, followed by strikes from Vicky Lopez and a late penalty from two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas to complete the 6-2 rout. Caicedo scored again for Madrid, but it proved merely a consolation. Barcelona extended their unbeaten run to 25 matches across all competitions and have now beaten Real Madrid in all four meetings this season, scoring 16 goals while conceding only two.

The second leg will be played next week, with Real Madrid needing a historic victory to overturn the deficit and reach their first-ever Champions League semifinal. Compounding Madrid's challenges, the two sides are set to meet again this weekend in Liga F, marking the first of three Clásicos in just nine days.

Source: www.aljazeera.com