Match Preview: Chelsea vs Barcelona Second Leg

Aitana Bonmati. Photo: Fc Barcelona

On Sunday the 20th April, the Blues travelled to Spain for the first leg of the Champions League semi final.

Barcelona dominated for 90 minutes in an outstanding home leg performance, leading to a 4-1 loss for the travelling side who struggled to find their feet.

Previous Meetings

This year marks the third consecutive year that these teams have faced off in a Champions League semi-final and Chelsea have failed to progress from them all.

It has been a close tie each time, with Barcelona winning 2-1 on aggregate in both 2023 and 2024, despite the efforts from a strong Chelsea side.

Additionally, they met in the Champions League final in 2021 where Barcelona won comfortably with a scoreline of 4-0.

The Dream

Chelsea have dominated the WSL in recent years and are on track for their 6th consecutive league title.

During this time, they have also found success in other domestic competitions but the iconic Champions League has always eluded the club.

However, having come so close on multiple occasions, the players have gained experience and the team's squad depth has developed impressively.

Since Sonia Bompastor’s arrival from Olympique Lyonnais last summer, she has made some exciting signings showing the clubs desire for this title.

This includes the likes of the Lionesses, Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze, who have valuable experience in this competition.

With a remote chance to keep quadruple hopes alive, this Sunday's game will need intensity and belief from the Blues to turn it around.

The Quality of Barcelona

Barcelona are undoubtedly one of the best teams, if not the best, in women’s football. They have won the Champions League 3 times and La Liga 9 times.

The club is home to some world class players, such as Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati who hold the midfield and Spanish star, Salma Paralluelo, up front.

They are known for their relentlessness in front of goal managing an unbelievable 40 goals so far in their champions league campaign this season.

Is there still hope for a comeback at the Bridge?

Yes, as we have seen them prove their capability in the quarter final against Manchester City, where they came back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-0.

However, this time they find themselves further behind, also dealing with the absence of Lauren James who is a critical player to this team.

Nevertheless, the Blues’ strong winning mentality gives them an opportunity to make this an exciting match with the help of the crucial home turf advantage at Stamford Bridge in South London.

If Chelsea are to succeed, they will have to force Barcelona into defense mode and keep them on the back foot for 90 minutes.

Sonia Bompastor recognises the magnitude of the task at hand, but also has full belief in her side, stating; “if we are able to score the first goal really early in the game, if we have the right mentality, we can probably turn things around.”