Barça 8-0 Alaves: Bruna Vilamala returns to action after more than year out
Pina scored twice in the win but it was a day to remember for Bruna above all
FC Barcelona returned to Liga F action after the international break with a spectacular win against Alavés. Claudia Pina scored a brace and there were further goals from Oshoala, Rolfö, Mapi León, Salma, Crnogorcevic and Geyse. The best news of all, however, was Bruna Vilamala's return to action after 390 days on the sidelines.
Coach Jonatan Giráldez had already warned ahead of the game: a very important stretch of the games are coming up, with nine in a month and a half and some of them in big venues such as the Camp Nou, the Allianz Arena or the Metropolitan. And against Alavés he preferred to reserve some players with that in mind.
But the best thing about this Barça is that neither the eight absentees nor rotations affect a team that plays by the book and is hungry to win every game.
The Pina show
Despite the fact that Alavés came out looking to score early, the Catalans struck first and nothing stopped them from there. It was Pina who opened the scoring with good control, and a cross-shot.
Oshoala added the second with a headed goal and Rolfö, after an exquisite assist from Pina, made it three. Pina then netted from the penalty spot before Mapi León netted the fifth, with another great goal in her 200th match in the Barça shirt, and Salma, the sixth before halftime.
Bruna back!
Everything that happened before the 75the minute, however, faded to the background -- and Crnogorcevic would score the 300th goal for Barça at the Johan Cruyff Stadium and Geyse the 50th for Barça this season late on.
But it was Bruna Vilamala's day. The academy player returned to the pitch 391 days after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament. She was able to play 25 minutes and feel like a footballer again with a smile on her face.
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