As the ball fell to Alexia Potelis, 4 yards out and in the ninth minute of time beyond regulation at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, there was loads of evidence to point out that it was an unlikely day. In another game, Pouteles would have scored and Barcelona would have had a way through – as a substitute, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner fumbled her shot and handed the Women’s Champions League holders their first home defeat in five years. needed to face Even more remarkable, as Pouteles cut wide, a team that had scored 164 goals in all competitions this season were yet to land a shot heading in the right direction.
Neither will they. Somehow, Chelsea and Emma Hayes created the unthinkable. The English champions were seeking to survive and stay in the tie, but an Erin Cuthbert goal and a primary win against all-conquering Barcelona ensured Chelsea qualified for next week’s semi-final second leg 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. Will get the upper hand. Avoid defeat there, and Hayes will end his 12-year Chelsea tenure in Bilbao with a final shot at the only trophy that has eluded him.
This result ensures that the final weeks of his time at Chelsea have produced one other famous day in the club’s history. Chelsea were outstanding and Barcelona, a team that ought to have won every trophy last season, didn’t rating for the first time in almost two years. Hannah Hampton had no savings to construct on. The Chelsea goalkeeper’s efforts to decelerate the game drew boos and boos from the stunned home crowd as Barcelona and their superstars panicked and suffered their worst defeats.
Hampton’s historic clean sheet was a testament to the performances in front of him. There were incredible displays throughout the pitch, with every player giving the whole lot for Hayes in their quest to win their first Champions League title. It could appear unfair to single out people on days like these but two, in particular, stood out. Jess Carter and Niamh Charles were two Chelsea players who began against Barcelona in the final in Gothenburg three years ago and had scored 4 goals by the thirty ninth minute. Their considerable improvement since then is not any more evident than after they face Barcelona and must cope with individual duels that the Catalan side often like to use.
Carter, at the heart of Chelsea’s defence, was superb, man of the match as she edged past Spain star Salmi Paravillo, who has scored 30 goals this season. Caroline Graham Hansen, who scored in each legs of Barcelona’s thrashing of Chelsea in last season’s semi-final, was similarly kept quiet by an excellent Charles. Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence, each signed for those opportunities, accomplished a back 4 that was on the right track for a well-liked result, which could see the return of skipper Millibright next week. Lawrence, signed from PSG last summer, was particularly impressive and this was his best performance for Chelsea.
You can say the same about Mayra Ramirez. Signed in January, and a well-recognized Barcelona rival since arriving from Levante, has shown relentlessness at the point of attack, chasing lost causes, retaining possession, and bringing others into play. The Colombian gave Chelsea a physical presence that allowed the Blues to grow into the game, growing in confidence as he began to carry up the ball when playing down the channels. Chelsea were passive and comprehensively outplayed after they hosted Barcelona in last season’s semi-final first leg. This time, the Londoners pushed higher and took more possibilities. They executed their game plan to perfection.
The visitors would have prepared to see little of the ball and avoid long spells of pressure but Hayes’ side restricted Barcelona to few possibilities and, incredibly, not a single shot heading in the right direction. Chelsea escaped a penalty call in the second half when Petrie Gujero’s shot hit Buchanan’s arm: contact was clear but when VAR intervened and Stephanie Frepart ruled that Paralluelo was interfering with play from an offside position. It was a private call but one which went in Chelsea’s favour. That said, Hayes shall be asking where the VAR went when Ramirez was brought down in the box moments later after defender Irene Paredes kicked the Chelsea striker in the thigh.
By then, Chelsea were definitely the higher side. After surviving Barcelona’s early pressure, they began to grow into the game. Lauren James, who was fit after being a doubt before the match, made her first start against Barcelona after coming off the bench in last season’s semi-final. The forward’s slow ability to manage every dribble allowed Chelsea to decelerate the game when needed.
With that, Chelsea made it to the semi-finals. So when, five minutes before the break, Sjoeke Nusken took control in the penalty area and turned to open a shot on goal, it felt like Chelsea’s pressure was mounting. Niskin played the ball wide to Cuthbert, who then moved it out to his feet and fired an outstanding finish past Keita Cole into the top corner.
If scoring Chelsea’s opening goal was a shock, the odds of Curtbert’s strike being the winner seemed distant. Yet Barcelona’s response never quite went far enough and Chelsea took control of the game in the second half, much to the growing frustration of the home support. Ramirez, plowing through on her own, clawed back nearly a second on the break when she held off Petrie but fired over.
Chelsea had only two more moments to survive, neither of which required Hampton’s intervention. The first got here when Perallo chipped in at the back post but sliced wide on the volley, then when the ball broke to Potellis with seconds remaining. Chelsea, though, held on to secure a historic victory in the second leg where one other seismic performance shall be needed to complete the job.
Emma Hayes’ Chelsea tackle Spanish superstars Barcelona in an exciting UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final second leg. Watch all the motion live and free on DAZN. We may earn a commission from a few of the links in this text, but we never allow it to influence our content. The proceeds help fund journalism across The Independent.
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