Key occasions
30 min: Nüsken has regarded shiny for Chelsea. The German midfielder drags the ball clear of an opposition participant and unearths Baltimore once more. This time Baltimore alternatives out Ramírez who part heartedly is going down below a problem.
28 min: As a lot as I attempted to increase this recreation, Barcelona have in large part regarded at ease, even ahead of the objective. Chelsea have by no means scored towards Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.
GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona (Aitana, 25)
Surely that’s recreation, set and fit. Aitana Bonmatí drives with the ball from her personal part, evading a slide take on from Niamh Charles. The Spanish midfielder simply helps to keep on going and smashes the ball previous Hampton at her close to submit. Clinical!
23 min: Another probability for Chelsea. After a turnover in play, Cuthbert performs a via ball to Nüsken who hits the ball at Catalina Coll’s toes.
22 min: Chance for Chelsea. Ramírez alternatives up the ball at the correct and cuts a move again for Baltimore at the six backyard line. Baltimore is not able to hook up with the ball despite the fact that.
19 min: Erin Cuthbert has been an engine in the course of the park thus far. The midfielder is ultimate the Barcelona avid gamers down and distributing the ball expertly. That’s why Bompastor calls her an “aggressivity booster.”
16 min: Maybe some nerves from Chelsea within the opening length. Lucy Bronze performs a sloppy again move to Hannah Hampton and the ball is going out of play for a Barcelona nook.
14 min: It’s been an intense begin to the sport. Chelsea are urgent top however Barcelona are greater than able to taking part in out from the again and stretching the Chelsea again line.
10 min: Great talent from Nüsken at the touchline. She rolls the ball throughout the legs of Ona Batlle and units Sandy Baltimore away with a deft trivela move. The French left-back, who’s taking part in as a left-winger nowadays, rushes her move to Ramírez and it involves not anything.
7 min: Mayra Ramírez did not make a lot of an have an effect on within the first leg. The Colombian will want to be on most sensible shape nowadays to supply Chelsea with a point of interest to their assaults.
4 min: Barcelona aren’t even entertaining the theory of a historical comeback. They’re fast to place Chelsea below drive with Alexia Putellas firing an effort rather extensive from about 20 yards out.
3 min: Already Barcelona are settling into a well-known development. They stay the ball for amusing and to find Aitana Bonmatí at the fringe of the field. She flicks the ball over Sjoeke Nüsken’s head and fires her volley over the bar.
1 min: Johanna Rytting Kaneryd receives the ball at the correct and there’s an enormous roar from the gang as she runs at Fridolina Rolfö. The avid gamers will want the entire enhance they are able to get nowadays.
Kick off
Barcelona kick us off and transfer the ball from left to correct.
There’s a minute of silence to commemorate the lifetime of Pope Francis.
Jonathan Liew
A message from Jonathan Liew:
Pretty respectable turnout at Stamford Bridge for what maximum impartial observers suppose goes to be a misplaced motive. Around 25,000 tickets bought, and it does appear to be maximum of them have grew to become up. The possible to be a part of one thing impressive – on the other hand not likely the chance would possibly really feel – is an important client pull. It’s why other folks purchase lottery tickets. It’s why other folks humiliate themselves within the identify of affection. It’s why other folks – towards all their creative and business instincts – nonetheless let Woody Allen make films.
The avid gamers are making their method to the pitch. Millie Bright appears to be like stern, decided to enhance on her efficiency remaining week. Before the sport, she stated: “Nothing is impossible within football or in sport if you have the right mentality, the right attitude.”

Tom Garry
Here’s a message from Tom Garry on the recreation:
The shiny sunshine has introduced smiles to Stamford Bridge however, on the subject of the soccer, there’s no longer numerous optimism among the Chelsea supporters I’ve spoken to across the stadium nowadays. Most of them appear to have a way of realism that what we’re about to witness is a Barcelona procession into the overall. But there’s additionally that little feeling of ‘maybe… what if?’ amongst a minority, and the stadium DJ is lately doing his highest to get everyone on their toes with a blast of Rihanna. If Chelsea can rating an early objective, possibly this position will start to consider…
“We know we can beat them but we’ll probably have to have the perfect game” stated Bompastor to DAZN. “Maybe wait for them [Barcelona] to make some mistakes” she added.
Chelsea will want to see extra of the ball on this recreation to face any probability. Bompastor’s aspect most effective touched the ball 12 occasions within the opposition field all the way through the primary leg and finished simply over part as many passes as the house aspect.
The remaining time Barcelona misplaced through 3 objectives or extra was once within the 2019 Champions League last when Lyon beat them 4-1.
Lucy Bronze, who has gained 5 Champions League titles together with the 2019 trophy with Lyon, had some robust phrases for her Chelsea teammates after their first leg defeat. According to Sonia Bompastor, the Chelsea right-back stated: “The second leg is a new opportunity for us, to play a home game with the support of the fans, and we need to believe it’s possible to turn things around.”
The groups
Chelsea: Hampton, Bronze, Bright, Girma, Charles, Walsh, Cuthbert, Nüsken, Kaneryd, Ramírez, Baltimore
Subs: Spencer, Cox, Lawrence, Mpome, Kaptein, Jean-Francois, Hamano, Reiten, Brown, Macario, Beever-Jones
Barcelona: Cata Coll, Paredes, María León, Clàudia Pina, Graham, Alexia, Patri, Aitana, Rolfö, Pajor, Batlle
Subs: Gemma, Roebuck, Jana, Paralluelo, Marta, Vicky, Engen, Brugts, Caño, Schertenleib
The statistics make for tricky studying from a Chelsea point of view. Check out Tom Garry’s fit preview.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to reside protection of the Women’s Champions League semi-final 2nd leg between Chelsea and Barcelona.
Sonia Bompastor faces the largest problem of her Chelsea tenure nowadays. In truth Bompastor stated: “I think this one will be probably the biggest one [challenge] in my career as a manager.” Outplayed, outclassed and in the long run outscored within the first leg on the Estadi Johan Cruyff, Chelsea path Barcelona 4-1 within the Champions League semi-final.
It’s a well-known state of affairs for Barcelona who’ve made mild paintings of Chelsea over the previous few years. They beat Chelsea within the semi-final of the remaining two Champions League campaigns, and within the last of the 2020/21 season after they trounced Chelsea 4-0.
Remontada could also be essentially the most overused in soccer, but when Chelsea have been to growth towards the originators, it might be one of the crucial largest comebacks of their historical past. It appears to be like not likely however crazier issues have took place.
Kick off is at 2pm. Email me to percentage your ideas.