Weir shines to seal Real Madrid's runner-up spot
Real Madrid CF secured a 4-0 victory over FC Badalona Women, with Caroline Weir scoring a hat-trick and being named MVP of the match, alongside a goal from Eva Navarro. With this win, Pau Quesada's side confirm their runner-up finish in Liga F Moeve. The home side's hopes of entering the TOP-8 are now over.
26 MAY 2026
The Real Madrid CF players took to the pitch wearing shirts in support of their teammate Yasmim, who is suffering from an ACL injury. The first chance of the match fell to the Catalan side. A delivery into the heart of the box was met by Elena Julve, but her effort was cleared by the Merengue defence. The visitors also threatened through Angeldahl. The Swedish midfielder looked for teammates inside the box, but María Valenzuela was brave in goal to claim the ball. Pau Quesada’s side also pushed forward through Linda Caicedo and Feller in attack, but neither player could find a way past María Valenzuela, who looked very secure at the back. Despite the visitors' attempts to break the deadlock, the scoreline remained unchanged at the end of the first forty-five minutes in Palamós.
.JPG)
Just two minutes into the second half, Rocío Gálvez played a ball to Eva Navarro, who, from the edge of the area, sent in a cross-shot that curled unexpectedly and ended up in the back of the net, catching María Valenzuela by surprise as she watched the ball loop in. However, the true star of the match was Caroline Weir, who was named MVP. Feller drove into the box with the ball, Alba Redondo let it run, and the Scottish midfielder made no mistake, scoring to double the lead. Just two minutes later, Caroline Weir produced a moment of magic with a stunning direct free-kick, earning applause from the Palamós crowd and embraces from her teammates. Following the goal, Marc Ballester brought on Sofie Junge-Pedersen. Athenea del Castillo also entered the fray for the Merengue side. The tempo dropped, with Real Madrid CF dominating the contest.
With four minutes remaining, Athenea del Castillo threaded a ball through for the onrushing Caroline Weir. The Scot, who was on the edge of offside, controlled the ball and beat María Valenzuela to complete her hat-trick. FC Badalona Women attempted to reduce the deficit through a great individual effort from Irina Uribe. The forward unleashed a powerful strike from inside the box that forced Merle Frohms to pull off a great save to turn the ball behind for a corner. Paula Sánchez also had a chance to score. The midfielder looked for a goal with a wonderful strike from the edge of the area, but the ball crashed directly against the woodwork. The final chance of the duel fell to Athenea, with a magnificent shot that María Valenzuela tipped away with a great hand. With this result, Pau Quesada’s side secures the runners-up spot in Liga F Moeve.