Barcelona star Putellas says El Clasico at Nou Camp could be a ‘before and after moment’ for women’s game
ALEXIA PUTELLAS reckons Barcelona’s historic battle with Real Madrid on home turf could be a watershed moment for women’s football.
More than 90,000 tickets are reported to have been sold with punters set to pack out the Nou Camp for the Champions League quarters clash.
And Forbes reports that very few tickets are currently on sale for the match which kicks off at 5:45pm this evening.
It is thought the game at the ground, which has a 99,534 capacity, could break the record for the highest number of spectators at a women’s football match.
That record was set back in 1999 at the Rose Bowl in the United States, when a 90,185-strong crowd turned out to watch the USA defeat China in the Women’s World Cup.
For Putellas, 28, playing in front of tens of thousands of fans at a stadium she often visited as a child, is a dream come true.
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On Monday the Barca midfielder, a lifelong supporter of the club, told reporters: “This match will inspire many people.
“They will see women play at Camp Nou and I’m sure that in the future the fruits of that will be reaped.
“Many girls will dream of being able to play on such a special stage.
“It could be a before-and-after moment in women’s football.”
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Barcelona, who defeated Madrid 3-2 in the first leg of the contest’s quarter-final tie, have been on a storming run on the domestic front.
The LaLiga Women’s side won Spain’s top-flight title for the third season in a row after crushing Madrid in a 5-0 rout on March 23rd.
And they did so after a league run that saw them win all 25 games they have played so far this term, scoring a whopping 138 goals.
It comes almost nine months after they claimed their first Champions League crown after a 4-0 defeat of Chelsea.
Their efforts saw Putellas win last year’s Ballon d’Or award as well being named Fifa’s Women’s Player of the Year.
The Barca captain added: “I didn’t picture myself playing in the Nou Camp as a girl as I only saw men playing there.
“The game can open so many doors for so many girls and I feel proud Barca makes it possible.”
Barcelona vs Real Madrid can be watched live from 5:45pm tonight on DAZN’s YouTube channel