Spectacular, unforgettable, extraordinary! Barcelona swaggered into the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday with a ruthless demolition of their biggest rivals in the Women's El Clasico.

"This has been utterly magical. I saw a lot of girls, children with that spark in their eyes. It's amazing to be part of history," beamed Barca captain Alexia Putellas after Barcelona thrashed Real Madrid 5-2 in front of 91,553 boisterous fans at Camp Nou, Spain. 

The Blaugrana captain had ample reason to be over the moon. She scored her 26th goal of the season with a sensational shot that sent the home crowd into delirium. 

The football world hasn't had a night quite like this for a long time, not since the COVID-19 pandemic turned everything upside down. 

The previous record attendance for a women's club fixture stood at 60,739 when Barca beat Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano in 2019. The 1999 Women's World Cup final saw 90,185 fans descend upon the Rose Bowl in California to enjoy a thrilling showdown between the U.S. and China. Both records were wiped out by an historic night at Camp Nou.  

Barcelona normally play their home games at the club's 6,000-seat training ground, but this blockbuster clash was temporarily moved to the larger Camp Nou to accommodate a skyrocketing demand for tickets. Wednesday's El Clasico (a name given to any football match between rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid) marked just the second time a women's team played a competitive game at Camp Nou and the first time with spectators. 

"When the match finished, the fans simply didn't want to go home, there was such a connection between them and us while we celebrated," said Putellas, who, along with her teammates, stayed on the pitch long after the full-time whistle was blown.

Putellas, who was crowned the women's Ballon d'Or in November, admitted she never thought it would be possible to play at the prestigious Camp Nou.  

"I didn't picture myself playing in Camp Nou as a girl as I only saw men playing here. The game can open so many doors for so many girls and I feel proud Barca makes it possible," she said. "I believe the time has come, it's the right time to do so." 

The sentiment was echoed by Barca midfielder Aitana Bonmati "We've recently been through some wonderful experiences, especially winning the Champions League. But maybe this was more special. A full Nou Camp and making history - immense!" she observed. 

There's nothing better than being a Barcelona fan right now. Last season, they became the first Spanish side to win the Women's Champions League with a 4-0 victory over Chelsea and also won the league and Copa de la Reina. This year they show no signs of relenting and are aiming for an unprecedented quadruple. 

With such dominance and incredible attacking force, Barcelona deserved a grander stage, and this was a truly a football party at Camp Nou. 

"I told my players before the match that it wasn't enough to simply qualify tonight. We had to put on a show for our fans, and we did it," Barca coach Jonatan Giraldez told a press conference.

His Real Madrid counterpart Alberto Toril agreed, adding, "Two super teams who wanted to compete, to attack and a huge crowd. Women's football is unstoppable, it's going to grow and grow." 

As the magical evening wrapped up, Giraldez offered his final thought, "What a great day this has been! We'll remember it all our lives."