It may have taken 19 attempts, but March 23, 2025 will live long in the memory of fans, with a late, late show typical of the club’s history.
They say defeats last forever, but on Sunday, Real Madrid finally ended their losing streak against Barcelona in the women’s Clásico, claiming their first-ever victory in the 19th edition of the rivalry.
A 2-1 triumph, sealed by goals from Alba Redondo and Caroline Weir, silenced the 35,000 fans at the Lluís Companys stadium. Guro Reiten had sparked a Barcelona comeback attempt, but controversy struck when a Jana Fernández goal was disallowed for offside, a decision that left Barça fans furious.
As the final whistle blew in the 97th minute, the hailstorm that fell over Montjuïc seemed almost symbolic – on March 23, 2025, Real Madrid had finally conquered their eternal rival.
A dream Clásico start for Madrid
With Champions League quarter-finals looming, both teams made significant lineup changes. Jonatan Giráldezintroduced three fresh faces for Barça, while Alberto Toril rotated six players from their midweek clash with Arsenal.
From the opening whistle, Madrid played like a team on a mission. Within two minutes, Feller charged into the box, forcing Irene Paredes into a desperate intervention while appealing for offside. Moments later, a wind-assisted corner from Yasmim nearly caught Barcelona off guard. By the fifth minute, Møller had already missed another golden chance.
The intensity was surreal – Madrid’s dominance made fans wonder if they were still dreaming. Barcelona responded, with Reiten firing her signature left-footed shot just wide and Mapi León narrowly missing from distance. But Madrid kept pushing, with Redondo and Møller continuing to threaten.
Barça’s midfield trio of Aitana Bonmatí, Patri Guijarro, and Alexia Putellas tried to restore order, but Madrid’s defense held firm. Schertenleib, the 18-year-old Barça prospect, nearly opened the scoring with a powerful strike that Misa Rodríguez and the crossbar combined to keep out.
Then, in the 41st minute, history began to take shape. Møller delivered a perfect cross, gift-wrapped for Alba Redondo, who headed it home to give Madrid a stunning 1-0 lead. The shock was felt across Montjuïc.
Barça fight back, but Madrid hold their ground
Early in the second half, Giráldez made his move, introducing Jana Fernández and Salma Paralluelo. The effect was instant.
Reiten broke free and found herself one-on-one with Misa, but the Madrid goalkeeper produced a brilliant save. Aitana struck the side netting moments later. Then, in the 60th minute, Barcelona equalized – Reiten rose to meet a pinpoint Mapi León cross, heading it past Misa to make it 1-1.
With 30 minutes left, the question remained: would Madrid collapse under pressure, or could they make history?
Controversy before Weir delivers Madrid’s defining moment
Toril responded by bringing on Linda Caicedo and Weir – and the game tilted again.
Caicedo tormented Paredes with dazzling footwork. Angeldahl forced Cata Coll into a desperate save with a powerful strike. Then, controversy struck – in the 82nd minute, Jana Fernández thought she had given Barcelona the lead, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside, a call that left the Barça bench furious.
And then, in the 97th minute, history was sealed. Caicedo weaved past Engen, slipped the ball to Weir, and the Scottish playmaker slotted home the winner, securing Real Madrid’s first-ever Clásico victory.
On March 23, 2025, in the 19th Clásico, Real Madrid’s women had finally won.