Bonmati goal helps Barcelona qualify as group winner in Women's Champions League

Arsenal secure third place on top of their group after defeating Bayern Munich

AP

Barcelona, Updated At : 03:33 PM Dec 19, 2024 IST

FC Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati her goal with teammates. Reuters

Fresh off winning another global award, Spain playmaker Aitana Bonmati scored a crucial goal to help defending champions Barcelona secure a 3-0 victory over Manchester City in their Group D encounter on Wednesday. The win ensured Barcelona finished top of the group, advancing to the quarterfinal.

Bonmati’s goal came in the 57th minute when she raced through and slotted the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs, doubling Barcelona’s lead. The victory saw both teams finish group play tied on 15 points; however, Barcelona progressed as group winners due to a superior goal difference.

Bonmati, who won the last two Ballon d'Or awards in women’s soccer, was also named the women's player of the year at FIFA’s The Best awards on Tuesday — marking the second consecutive year she received the prestigious honor.

Arsenal, other group winners

Arsenal secured their place as the fourth group winner and the second from England after defeating Bayern Munich 3-2, with Spain striker Mariona Caldentey scoring a match-clinching penalty in the 86th minute. The other group winners were record eight-time champions Lyon and Chelsea.

Manchester City and Bayern Munich had already secured qualification to the knockout stage, finishing in second place in their respective groups.

Barcelona dominates Manchester City in Group D

Barcelona made a strong statement with a dominant performance against Manchester City. Clàudia Pina put Barcelona ahead in the 44th minute with a low finish and Bonmati doubled the lead early in the second half. Alexia Putellas sealed the 3-0 win with a powerful strike from outside the area in the 67th minute.

Barcelona, filled with players from Spain’s World Cup-winning squad, has now won the last two Women’s Champions League titles and three of the last four.

Hammarby, Juventus secure third-place finishes

In other Group D action, Swedish club Hammarby beat St Polten 2-1 in Vienna to finish third in the group. In Group C, Juventus triumphed 3-0 over Valerenga but finished third, behind Arsenal and Bayern Munich in the standings.