Barcelona v Chelsea: Girls’s Champions League semi-final, first leg – dwell | Girls’s Champions League
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Key occasions
Half-time: Barcelona 1-0 Chelsea
Chelsea win one other nook however nothing comes from it earlier than the referee blows her whistle. Hampton stored Chelsea within the sport early on particularly together with her penalty save in opposition to Putellas however Pajor’s strike within the thirty fifth min is what separates the 2 sides.
45+5 min: The nook is available in and Bronze creates area for herself by pushing away her defender however the ball goes simply over her head. Chelsea are pushing for an equaliser earlier than the half-time whistle.
45+3 min: Bronze will get challenged within the field and moments later Bonmatí fouls Cuthbert. The referee blows her whistle for the latter however Bronze is fuming – she needs a penalty however she isn’t going to get one. However Chelsea nonetheless have a harmful free-kick about 25 yards out … Beever-Jones takes it and forces an enormous save out of Coll on the keepers left! Large probability for Chelsea they usually now have a nook.
45+2 min: Graham Hansen makes an attempt her trademark roller from the correct however her shot is excessive and broad.
45 min: It’s all a bit scrappy now. Cuthbert will get fouled and Bompastor needs a yellow for Guijarro however the referee pays no thoughts to the pinnacle coach. We will probably be getting at the very least 6 minutes of added time on this half.
Tom Garry
43 min: The Barcelona males’s crew star Lamine Yamal is within the crowd right here, keen the hosts on from the entrance row of the VIP part simply to the left of the press seats.
40 min: Paredes will get in a foot race with Ramírez after an extended ball and the Barcelona centre-back manages to get to it first. The striker then will get again and tries to win the ball off Batlle and her sort out is a bit late. The Colombian will get the primary reserving of the sport and Bompastor isn’t completely happy. Bonmatí comes over after the problem to assist Batlle re-tie her laces.
GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Chelsea (Pajor 35)
Barcelona’s high scorer this season is 1v1 with Hampton and there was solely going to be one final result. It’s a nice little go from Putellas and Pajor, located between Vibrant and Baltimore, speeds ahead and her cool low end to the correct offers the hosts the lead and her sixth Champions League aim this season. She blows kisses to all 4 stands in celebration. What a debut season she is having!
33 min: A rowdy Barcelona crowd tonight. Everytime Hampton will get on the ball the house crowd whistle loudly.
31 min: Hampton is up on her toes and rubbing her shoulder. She’s going to proceed for now however one to regulate. She has been unbelievable up to now for the guests.
29 min: Hampton is down on the bottom with the physios. She crashed down onerous on the group after leaping excessive to gather the ball from a cross. Cox, Chelsea’s No 2, is warming up on the sideline. Spencer, on mortgage from Tottenham, can be out there on the bench.
25 min: Bonmatí is in acheres of area and decides to surge ahead and take the shot from about 30 yards out. Hampton dives down and makes the save however she is going to certainly be disenchanted that none of her teammates pressed the Barcelona midfielder.
22 min: Putellas places in a terrific ball for Bonmatí who makes an attempt a fast go to Paralluello however the winger can’t get there earlier than Hampton. After the possibility the digicam flashes to doubtless the 2 most well-known Barcelona followers within the stands immediately: Lamine Yamal and Gavi.
20 min: Graham Hansen in some way will get on the ball that appears to be trickling out for a goalkick and manages a cross however Björn head away.
17 min: Paralluelo places in an amazing ball for Pajor with the surface of her left boot that evades a number of Chelsea defenders however the flag goes up on the Polish striker.
16 min: León loses the ball and Chelsea try a cross within the field however it’s headed away. The Blues have a little bit of rhythm now after that save however can they hold the ball and create some possibilities whereas on high?
14 min: Barcelona are being urged on by their followers after that miss however Putellas actually appears a bit shocked.
Hampton saves Putellas’s penalty!
Wow! Putellas steps up together with her fingers on her hips to attend for the whistle. She takes her shot and Hampton dives to her left, her legs saving the shot earlier than Beever-Jones clears it away. It’s a poor shot that’s nearly straight down the center. Large second for Chelsea!
10 min: VAR examine. That second ball from the nook hit Björn’s hand and her arm was positively out in an unnatural place. No participant appealed for it however the referee goes to check out the display … and he or she offers it. Barcelona have the possibility to go up early on this tie.
7 min: Probability! Graham Hansen’s shot is deflected simply broad! The ensuing nook results in one other which Paredes heads in the direction of aim. Hampton makes the save although she appears fairly shocked that she needed to.
6 min: Ramírez surges ahead on the left flank and finds Beever-Jones however the winger’s contact is just too heavy and Coll collects.
4 min: Graham Hansen tries to chop in on the correct however Baltimore is ready to crowd her out. The ball come again by way of the center and Guijarro goes for aim. It’s deflected off of Björn who tries to make the block however Hampton dives down and is fast to make the save.
2 min: Bonmatí surges ahead however her former teammate Bronze will get on the ball and kicks it out for a throw-in.
Kick-off: Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea
Each units of gamers take a knee earlier than Barcelona get us underway. The hosts of their basic crimson and blue kits whereas Chelsea don their cream away kits.
The groups are out of the tunnel on the Estadi Johan Cruyff and the Champions League anthem blares out. We’re moments away from kick-off!
Right here is Romeu on his number of Graham Hansen within the beginning XI, who missed coaching on Saturday as a result of sickness:
I used to be in fixed contact with Caroline Graham Hansen earlier than choosing her for this match. She had a greater evening by way of relaxation and sleep and, between her, the physician and I, we have been clear that she might begin.
The primary leg of the second semi-final was contested between Arsenal and Lyon yesterday with Melchie Dumornay scoring an 82nd-minute aim to provide the guests a 2-1 benefit on the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal are hoping to achieve their first Champions League last since they gained the competitors in 2007 and may have their work minimize out for them in France in opposition to the eight-time champions.
Bompastor was additionally simply requested about James in her pre-match interview, who misses out as a result of harm:
A extremely vital participant, you recognize that. She is absolutely gifted. A type of gamers who could make an enormous distinction when she is on the pitch however we have to adapt. She isn’t with us and I’ve loads of high quality within the squad so hopefully it is going to be sufficient for us to win.
James pulled out of the England squad after sustaining a hamstring drawback within the 5-0 Nations League win over Belgium.
Here’s what each head coaches needed to say of their pre-match press convention.
Sonia Bompastor:
Barcelona have loads of expertise, loads of expertise within the squad I used to be watching earlier than our [quarter-final second leg against Man City], their sport in opposition to Wolfsburg, it is going to be once more a troublesome problem. However in soccer all the pieces is feasible. So I’ll deliver all the boldness we have to go into these two video games.
It’s an enormous sport. We’re actually excited. We’ve had all week to organize for the match, which was actually good to work on the gameplan. We really feel able to go. Actually excited. We’re enjoying the most effective groups, if not the very best crew, in Europe. As gamers, but in addition as managers, we need to be concerned in these video games.
Pere Romeu:
I feel it’s going to be a very powerful tie. I feel Chelsea are a crew who really feel comfy attacking at tempo. They really feel comfy attacking on the flanks with gamers who get previous their marker they usually get numbers within the field. They really feel comfy out of possession. They’re nice at profitable the ball again infield and hitting groups on the counter with Mayra [Ramírez] and others who’re nice at carrying the ball ahead and who assault area nicely.
I feel this implies we’ll have a knockout that’ll really feel lengthy, a tie wherein we’ll attempt to play nicely out of possession, to attempt to win the ball again and hit Chelsea on the counter, and when in possession we’ll attempt to assault shortly and attempt to get down the flanks shortly. I feel it’ll be a troublesome and tough tie.
Let’s have a look again at everytime Chelsea have fallen to Barcelona on this competitors.
First, it was the 2020-21 last the place the Blues have been completely blitzed 4-0. An personal aim from Melanie Leupolz within the first minute opened the floodgates for Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí and Caroline Graham Hansen to attain within the first half.
Then within the 2022-23 semi-finals, Barcelona took a 1-0 lead from Stamford Bridge earlier than getting the job finished at residence, profitable 2-1 on mixture.
Final season’s semi-finals noticed Chelsea take a surprising victory away from residence due to an Erin Cuthbert aim however the Blues fell 2-0 within the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Barcelona’s aim menace comes from everywhere in the pitch, however Ewa Pajor has actually been the standout with 35 targets and counting in her debut season on the membership. To match, Chelsea’s high scorer is Aggie Beever-Jones who has netted 12 targets this season.
The 2023 and 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, Aitana Bonmatí, says Barcelona have a “good rivalry, no unhealthy issues” had excessive reward for Chelsea forward of the tie.
It’s an enormous rivalry between us, as a result of over the past 4 or 5 years we [have been] enjoying loads of video games, but it surely’s rivalry, no unhealthy issues.
In these video games [against Chelsea] I all the time say that we are able to benefit from the soccer as a result of we’ve got in entrance of us opponent that makes us be higher and higher and higher. That is the second of the season all of us take pleasure in – massive video games. It’s these video games that make us nice and that present us the extent the place we need to get to.
Chelsea might have by no means been capable of get previous Barcelona on this competitors earlier than however Sonia Bompastor has. Her Lyon aspect beat Barcelona within the 2022 Champions League last 3-1. Right here is Tom Garry on Chelsea’s evolution below their new head coach:
Since Bompastor’s arrival, when few imagined anyone might match the dominance Hayes oversaw, Chelsea have misplaced solely as soon as, and a few would possibly say even that doesn’t depend, given it was within the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in opposition to Manchester Metropolis which they fought again to win on mixture.
The trophy the membership need above all else, although, is the continent’s high prize. Standing between them and what can be solely a second look within the last by a British membership since 2007 are an in-form Barcelona, who’ve scored 11 targets of their previous two matches and have been 10-2 mixture winners over Wolfsburg within the quarter-finals.
Workforce information
Barcelona (4-3-3): Coll; Battle, Paredes, León, Brugts; Bonmatí, Guijarro, Putellas; Graham Hansen, Pajor, Paralluelo
Subs: Font, Roebuck, Fernàndez, Torrejón, Pina, Rolfö, López, Engen, Caño, Schertenleib
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Hampton; Bronze, Björn, Vibrant, Baltimore; Walsh, Cuthbert; Rytting Kaneryd, Kaptein, Beever-Jones; Ramírez
Subs: Spencer, Cox, Nüsken, Macario, Reiten, Lawrence, Girma, Charles, Hamano, Mpomé, Jean-François, Brown
Referee: Katalin Kulcsar (Hungary)
Preamble
Chelsea have been flying on this season in Sonia Bompastor’s debut season on the helm. They’ve already gained the League Cup and are within the FA Cup last. One hand is on the WSL title – their potential sixth in a row – and they’re within the Champions League semi-finals. A historic quadruple is on the desk.
Enter Barcelona. The Catalan membership are the crew to beat in Europe, having gained the Champions League in three of the earlier 4 seasons. Chelsea, led by Emma Hayes up till this season, have been knocked out of this competitors by Barcelona in three of the final 4 seasons. The Blues have by no means beat Barcelona within the knockout levels of Europe’s elite membership competitors. Will this lastly be their time?
Be a part of me for the primary leg of this Champions League semi-final on the Estadi Johan Cruyff with kick-off at 5pm BST/6pm CEST. And, as all the time, when you’ve got any ideas, predictions, questions, complaints or musings you need to share, then be at liberty to ship me an e mail.
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