Real Madrid women’s team lost their inaugural match on Sunday, beaten 4-0 by defending Spanish league champion Barcelona.
Patri Guijarro set Barcelona on their way to victory in the first women's “clásico” with a goal in the 19th minute. Madrid’s María Rodríguez scored an own-goal in the 55th before Barcelona's Lieke Martens and Alexia Putellas turned it into a rout at Madrid’s training ground.
Women’s football in Spain has seen promising growth in recent years with more fans going to games and matches being broadcast on television.
Madrid had been one of the few major European clubs not to have a women’s team until the summer of last year, when it took over recently promoted Deportivo Tacon with the goal of converting the side into its first women’s team for the 2020-21 season.
Tacon used last season as a transition period with its players at Madrid’s training center for practice and matches.
Sunday was the first official game as Real Madrid.
But Barcelona, one of Europe’s top teams, was far too tough a test for its rivals.
Like men’s football, no fans attended the match due to restrictions put in place by Spanish authorities to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
