Barcelona beat Paris FC 5-2 in Women's Champions League opener

Barcelona began the defence of their Women's Champions League title with a 5-2 win over Paris FC at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, despite going a goal down almost from the kick-off.

Viens beat Paredes and Martina and shot high past Cata Coll with the ball barely in play. The hosts needed about 20 minutes to settle. Kerolin Nicoli then scored her first goal for the club, running onto a Pina pass, and celebrated with Pina before sending a heart towards the stand where the injured players sat. Barcelona went ahead from a corner delivered by Graham Hansen and headed in by Serrajordi. The report of the match breaks off there, so the rest of the scoring is not covered.

Only 2,574 people attended. Mundo Deportivo put that down to the kick-off time and the opposition.

Coach Pere Romeu was without Vicky López, out for two weeks with a muscle injury to the right rectus femoris, and Kika Nazareth, out for about three weeks with a similar injury to the same muscle. Aitana Bonmatí, Laia Aleixandri and Renee van Asten were already absent, and Aïcha Camara and Carla Julià are with Spain at the Under-20 World Cup. Irene Paredes returned from a left soleus injury and started. Martina González, Laia Cabetas, Lúa Arufe, Nikoline Nielsen and Kau Azraf filled out the squad.

Ewa Pajor, top scorer in the last edition with 11 goals, is expected to carry much of the attacking load. She scored twice against OL Lyonnes in last season's final, and this year's final is in Warsaw, in her home country.

Eight Barcelona players are on the Ballon d'Or shortlist, and voting closes in a few days. Cata said she would love Patri Guijarro to win, Pajor said she is not thinking about the award, and Romeu said he would like a Barcelona player to take it.

Elsewhere on the opening night, Bayern and Manchester City drew 2-2,, and Inter and Arsenal each won by a single goal. OL Lyonnes led Servette 7-0 with about 10 minutes left when the report was written.

A win by this margin with a depleted squad may give Romeu some room to manage the injured players carefully through the group stage. If the absences stretch beyond the three weeks announced, the depth of the bench will be tested.