Barcelona are Lisbon Bound: An insight into the 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea
- Darcey Slater
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
A match up we've seen for the past 3 seasons, but will the outcome be the same?
The Blues have a 3-goal deficit to overturn, but against the reigning champions, will it prove too much for them?
In the first leg, Barcelona scored four goals against the English champions. Sandy Baltimore earned one back for them, but that was all they could do to put a dent in the deficit for the home fixture.
From kick off, Chelsea were trying to intercept passes up the pitch and putting in the extra effort to be the first to all 50/50 balls. But each of their runs down the left were being intercepted by Ona Bat and Irene Paredes.
Barcelona earned a corner, with Mapi Leon taking it, it landed towards the middle of the goal and was headed on by Millie Bright. This landed for Ewa Pajor on the volley but it sailed above the bar.
On the break, Aitana Bonmati was able to beat Sjoeke Nusken and run down the wing. With no one in the box, she put it just above the gloves of Hannah Hampton. 26 minutes in, and it was 1-0 to the visitors.
There were a couple of chances from Chelsea, but each was shut down by Barcelona, with runs from Mayra Ramírez and Sjoeke Nusken nothing found its way into the back of the net.
Caroline Graham Hansen beat Niamh Charles, allowing her to put in a cross to Ewa Pajor. Making the run, she slotted the ball into the back of the net. 40 minutes in, it was 2-0 to Barcelona.
Minutes after the first goal, Barcelona were on the break again, being led by Ewa Pajor. She layed it off for Alexia Putellas, who passed it to Claudia Pina. She took the shot from outside the box, hitting the inside of the post and into the back of the net. Before half time, it was 3-0 to Barcelona.
With an extra one minute of injury time, neither team could find a goal. The score after the first half was 3-0 and 7-1 to Barcelona on aggregate.
At halftime, for Chelsea, we saw Ashley Lawrence and Aggie Beever Jones coming on for Naomi Girma and Mayra Ramírez. While Barcelona brought on Ingred Engen for Mapi Leon.
Soon into the second half, Putellas layed the ball off for Rolfo. With Lucy Bronze in front of her, she hit it first time, sailing over the bar.
There were a couple of Chelsea chances from Sandy Baltimore and Sjoeke Nusken, but none of them found the back of the net.
We saw Sandy Baltimore and Erin Cuthbert being removed for Wieke Kaptein and Catarina Macario for Chelsea. Barcelona subbed off Caroline Graham Hansen, Irene Parades and Claudia Pina for Salma Paralluelo, Jana fernandez and Esmee Brugts
Ewa Pajor got on the end of a long ball from Alexia Putellas, after beating both Millie Bright and Niamh Charles, she ended up one-on-one with Hannah Hampton. Hampton came out of the goal and blocked the shot, keeping the score at 3-0.
Each team make their final substitution with Maika Hamano coming on for Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Ewa Pajor coming off for Vicky Lopez.
Fridolina Rolfo ran down the left and sent a cross into Salma Paralluelo, which was blocked by Hannah Hampton, but the rebound landed for Vicky Lopez. She took it around Hannah Hampton, but it was blocked on the line by Millie Bright, keeping the score at 3-0.
The final 10 minutes were all Chelsea opportunities. We saw crosses from Maika Hamano, Catarina Macario and chances from Aggie Beever Jones, Lucy Bronze and Maika Hamano all being stopped by the Barcelona backline and Cata Coll.
After a one-two with Esmee Brugts, Salma Paralluelo was able to beat Niamh Charles by dinking the ball over her and slotting it into the bottom corner. Just before injury time, it's 4-0 Barcelona.
After a Keira Walsh tackle up the pitch, Aggie Beever Jones layed the ball off to Weike Kaptein. She took a touch and hit it into the top right corner. Just into extra time, Chelsea could get one back, making the score 4-1.
Maika Hamano made a last-minute run down the wing and forced Cata Coll to tip a shot over the bar; a Chelsea corner cleared out by Barcelona when the final whistle went for the match. The final score was Barcelona 4, Chelsea 1, and on aggregate 8-1 to the reigning champions of the competition.
With a total attendance of 26,702, the Blues had the crowd on their side, but that couldn't translate to goals. Unfortunately, their quadruple dreams for this season are over, but it still lives on for the reigning champions Barcelona.
Chelsea
Hannah Hampton (GK), Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright (C), Sjoeke Nusken, Mayra Ramirez, Erin Cuthbert, Naomi Girma, Sandy Baltimore, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Niamh Charles, Keira Walsh, Ona Batlle
Chelsea Used Subs
Aggie Beever Jones, Ashley Lawrence, Wieke Kaptein, Catarina Macario, Maika Hamano
Barcelona
Catalina Coll (GK), Irene Paredes, Caludia Pina, Caroline Graham Hansen, Alexia Putellas, Patri Guijarro, Aitanna Bonmati, Fridolina Rolfo, Ewa Pajor, Ona Batlle
Barcelona Used Subs
Ingred Engen, Salma Parralluelo, Janna Fernandez, Esme Brugts, Vicky Lopez
Comments