Asisat Oshoala opens account as FC Barcelona Femeni thrash Villarreal

Asisat Oshoala showed little signs of rustiness as she scored for FC Barcelona Femeni in their 4-1 hammering of Villarreal. The sides faced each other on the second matchday of the 2022-23 La Liga Iberdrola season.

After a hard-fought win in their season opener, the Blaugrana ladies opened the scoring after 26 minutes through Maria Leon. Their second goal only came in the third minute of the second half as Oshoala marked her first start since suffering a knee injury during the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The reigning African Player of the Year held her run to latch onto a brilliant through pass by Mariona Caldentey before nonchalantly chipping the ball over the onrushing Villarreal goalkeeper who was in no man’s land.

Villarreal pulled one back in the 56th minute through Rocio before Caroline Graham Hansen restored the champions’ two-goal advantage in the 75th minute. An own goal by Villarreal’s Lara Mata ten minutes later sealed the win for the champions in their away clash.

After winning the Pichichi in 2021-22, Asisat Oshoala looks set to lead the line for her club once more this season. The striker was a second-half substitute for 16-year-old Nigeria-eligible Vicky Lopez in the first game of the season before scoring on her first start for her club.