Atlético de Madrid, champion of the 2021 Super Cup, is the only team that has been able to unseat Barcelona from the top of a national competition in the last three seasons. After years of absolute dominance, the Catalans, champions in nine of the last ten national titles, did not appear yesterday in the hype for the quarterfinals of the Copa de la Reina due to a sanction that will lead to a new champion in women’s football Spanish. Carambola that modest like Granada, but also classics like Atlético or Athletic Clubor newcomers like him Real Madridwhich looks at the possibility of adding the first title in its short history with real options.
Despite scoring nine goals at El Sadar, the improper alignment of Geyse Ferreira –sanctioned for an expulsion in the last Cup match of last season– led to a complaint from Osasuna who, despite losing a thrashing in those round of 16, ended up acceding to the quarterfinal hype due to the sanction against the Barça club. A punishment that is being appealed in the Court of Arbitration for Sport, although it does not seem that the appeal is going to change the future panorama of the Copa de la Reina. A trophy that was tinged with azulgrana (like all of them for years) and now awaits a new champion.
This will break a streak of nine almost consecutive titles for the Catalans, whose immaculate journey since the summer of 2019 barely has a blemish. Of the teams in contention, none have lifted the Cup except Atlético de Madrid, the only one capable of eliminating Barcelona since the cycle change occurred in women’s football almost four years ago. The Barça dictatorship since then has only been stopped in the 2021 Super Cup, the final of which the Catalans did not reach after losing on penalties against Atlético in the semifinals. The rojiblancas, who are having a very irregular season, will face Granada in Los Cármenes, the only First Federation team still alive in the competition. «We have the illusion intact and that is what keeps us alive in the tournament. We go game by game and we continue dreaming, “he acknowledged yesterday Lucia Ramosabout the match that will be played on March 8.
A day later it will be the turn of Real Madrid, the second classified in the Iberdrola League and, according to several sources consulted, the main candidate to succeed Barcelona. the white ones They will play against Villarreal. An uncomfortable visit that will force those from Toril to bring out their best version to access the Final Four at the end of May, in which the champion will be decided. «We would have preferred to play at home, but we will go to Villarreal with all the enthusiasm. We are going to fight and give everything to get the first title », pointed out Ivana Andrés, captain of Real Madrid, who after two and a half seasons of growth is still looking for her first final.
Since it was officially founded in 2020, Madrid has been gradually reducing the difference with Barcelona, although it has not yet been able to win any game against the Catalans. In the last Super Cup, White was very close to winning the tiewhich arrived tied in the last minutes and which the Catalans resolved despite playing with one less.
Of the rest of the aspirants to succeed Barça, the duel from the north between Osasuna and Athletic, the same one that will be repeated in the semifinals of the men’s Cup. The Navarrese, unexpected quarterfinalists after Barca’s elimination in the offices, want to extend their dream and be in the Final Four in May. A desire that clashes with that of the rojiblancas, who have not played a Cup final since 2014.
The remaining tie will be played by Alhama and Granadilla Tenerife. The Murcians are ambitious despite being recently promoted to the Iberdrola League. “We are very excited to be able to win this competition,” he pointed out with determination Daniela Arques, footballer of the Murcian team. Candidate to succeed Barça on the throne of the Copa de la Reina.