Barcelona comes again towards Chelsea and can play in its fourth consecutive Champions League remaining | Soccer | Sports | EUROtoday

There are not any heroines with out drawbacks, obstacles or obstacles. There are not any heroines accustomed to simple victory. Barcelona's confidence was catapulted after dropping in Montjuïc within the first leg of the Champions League semi-final by the minimal (0-1). But Emma Hayes' group additionally confirmed delight in entrance of their followers. No group imposed its soccer. None have been with out errors. The present European champion, the good favourite, began with a unprecedented scenario: the drawback. Uncomfortable for them, in addition to uncommon. Not used to coming again within the League, with some extra difficulties within the Champions League, however all the time one level above their rivals. At Stamford Bridge they got here out to exhibit their resilience and comeback, and Aitana Bonmatí and Fridolina Rolfö scored the 2 targets that took Barcelona to the Champions League remaining on May 25 in San Mamés (towards PSG or Lyon; this Sunday, the return in Paris at 4:00 p.m. after the 3-2 within the first leg). They needed victory, they appeared for it, and the rain put out the inferno within the English stadium. The nice favourite took on the stress, with all eyes on them, and remodeled it into hope. It can be their fifth Champions League remaining, the fourth in a row.

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Hannah Hampton, Kadeisha Buchanan, Niamh Charles, Jess Carter, Melanie Leupolz, Sjoeke Nüsken, Ashley Lawrence, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Erin Cuthbert, Catarina Macário and Lauren James

FCBF FC Barcelona Women

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Cata Coll, Ona Batlle, Lucy Bronze, Irene Paredes, Ingrid Engen, Aitana Bonmatí, Patri Guijarro, Keira Walsh, Caroline Graham Hansen, Fridolina Rolfö and Salma Paralluelo

Goals 0-1 min. 25: Aitana Bonmatí. 0-2 min. 74: Fridolina Rolfö.

Referee Iuliana Elena Demetrescu

Yellow playing cards Kadeisha Buchanan (min. 54) y Niamh Charles (min. 87)

And within the first leg, Emma Hayes approached her plan completely, and returned from Montjuïc—became the cursed temple for the Catalans—with a purpose benefit. They performed at slowing down the march. There, removed from London, they despaired of a Barcelona that was gradual with the ball, unable to construct its recreation, and innocent in assault: the more serious it attacked the rival purpose, the extra susceptible it was in protection. Giráldez didn’t discover the house inside, and he didn’t make the most of his extremes both. For the return leg, the coach confirmed that one thing needed to change, and the burden then fell on Mariona Caldentey, utterly lacking in Montjuïc and the one change within the beginning eleven for the return leg. In her place, Lucy Bronze, who occupied the proper facet in order that Ona Batlle took over the left facet and left Fridolina Rolfö additional ahead, in her pure winger place earlier than arriving at Barcelona. Chelsea, this time, was with out Mayra Ramírez—one much less nightmare for the Barça protection—who was out on the final minute because of harm after coaching this week with a bandage on one leg, and who was changed by Catarina Macario as the one change for the English group.

The gamers appeared critical in a totally full Stamford Bridge – 39,398 attendees – in a document attendance on the English discipline in a girls's soccer match. The blues made a harangue earlier than the beginning amidst the roar of the spectators. The noise of their followers accompanied them of their depth and stress, whereas Barcelona remembered the errors—lower than within the first leg, however nonetheless sufficient to overwhelm the Blaugranas—of the primary recreation: fixed losses that extended the agony as a result of issue of recovering. the ball, overstretching in protection and speeding in assault. Nervous, they didn’t lengthen their possessions.

But Jonatan Giráldez promised readjustments, and with the rain on the legendary English stadium, they arrived. The stress on the rival discipline grew to become livid, and Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton made her debut in the whole tie after a shot from Graham Hansen, reappearing after her few interventions within the first leg and extra liberated. She was capable of cease the Norwegian, however not her dance accomplice this season: Aitana Bonmatí. Patri Guijarro discovered the Ballon d'Or in his favourite place, on the entrance of the realm, the place he scored the purpose that equalized the tie and with which he tied Alexia Putellas for the variety of targets -21- within the Champions League. And, above all, it tasted like air.

Then, Barça started to develop into Barça. But Chelsea by no means stopped being Chelsea. Aitana bled from her nostril after being hit by a ball. The depth was nonetheless served on the pitch, and the 'blues' consistently tried towards Cata Coll, who emerged as a heroine alongside Fortune, who fell on the Barça facet within the makes an attempt of Hayes' group. The alternatives have been exchanged. Barcelona was susceptible. Until Jess Carter's penalty on Aitana got here. And Rolfö, protagonist within the Eindhoven remaining, and who was not significantly profitable with the final cross through the match, put the lead on the scoreboard for Barcelona.

Aitana, the opposite heroine of the match, retired with discomfort to make manner for Alexia Putellas, on the bench from the beginning. “I can't, I can't,” shouted Barcelona's quantity 14 from the bottom. The Blaugrana continued to press, and Hayes' group, who put their fingers on their heads trying on the sky, tried to press to tie the tie. The nerves took over. The stadium roared. Chelsea noticed their remaining slip away, what would have been the second for them. Giráldez lastly smiled. It didn't cease raining on Stamford Bridge, however the clouds that lined Montjuïc within the final minutes of the primary leg cleared. Barcelona reached the fifth Champions League remaining, this time at residence, in San Mamés, on May 25. Among their doable rivals, PSG and Olympique Lyon, Barcelona's nice rival. Meanwhile, they proceed on the best way to their throne, on the best way to their historical past, on the best way to proceed being the heroines of Europe.

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