FROM STAMFORD BRIDGE: Defending champions Barcelona outclassed the Blues as first half goals from Aitana Bonmatí, Ewa Pajor and Claudia Pina saw Chelsea crumble out of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Already chasing a 4-1 deficit heading into the second leg, Sonia Bompastor’s side were left with an impossible mountain to climb after a trilogy of world-class goals put the tie to bed before the stroke of half time.
The back-to-back champions will now face either Arsenal or Lyon in the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Read as The Halfway Line breaks down the match and rates all players to step foot on the pitch at Stamford Bridge.
The Lineups
CHE: Hampton; Bronze, Bright, Girma, Charles; Walsh, Nüsken, Cuthbert; Baltimore, Rytting Kaneryd, Ramírez
BAR: Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Leon, Rölfo; Guijarro, Bonmati, Putellas; Graham Hansen, Pina, Pajor
The Action
It was Ewa Pajor had the first strong opening of the match as Millie Bright headed away the approaching corner before Pajor sent the deflection into the stands with an ill-timed volley.
The Blues got the better of the momentum as Stamford Bridge lifted the noise to record-breaking volumes. An uncharacteristic blunder from Aitana Bonmati gave Chelsea a chance through on goal, but Sjoeke Nusken’s strike was blocked at the death by Cata Coll.
Despite Chelsea’s aggressive press, the high-line was all Barcelona needed to sink their teeth in. A fast counter attack and a poorly timed intervention from Niamh Charles was all that Aitana Bonmati would need to draw blood. Storming the entire half by herself, the Ballon d’Or holder sent a thunder strike into the top of Hannah Hampton’s net to settle the tie for good.
If the tie wasn’t already dead, it certainly was when Caroline Graham Hansen stormed past Niamh Charles before sending a perfect cross into the area. Ewa Pajor was there to meet it with the perfect striker’s run, burying any hopes of a Chelsea resurgence.
Chelsea’s crumbling humbling continued to drag on as Alexia Putellas located Claudia Pina on the edge of the area, before the prolific goalscorer sent a curling strike off the far post and into the back of the net.
A visionary ball from Esmee Brugts delivered one final blow as Niamh Charles failed to clear the strike away from danger before Salma Paralluelo buried her strike into the back of the net.
The Blues were delivered a slight glance of reprise in the closing moments as Wieke Kaptein buried her strike into the top of the net to bring the aggregate score to 2-8. Hamano was close to drawing back another but a brilliant save from Coll saved the day (that was frankly already saved last week in Spain) at the death.
The late goal and the first half rout was more than enough to send Barcelona through to the final with flying colours, leaving Chelsea’s hopes at a quadruple in the dust.
Chelsea Player Ratings
Hannah Hampton – 6/10 – All three goals were absolutely world class, leaving Hampton with very little opportunity to save the day. Her distribution was fantastic in the opening half but was wasted by players higher up the pitch.
Lucy Bronze – 5/10 – Struggled immensely against the run of play, Barcelona were able to catch her out of position on more than one occasion. Got better as Barcelona replaced Pina, Pajor and Graham Hansen.
Millie Bright – 6/10 – Had little help and was left to do far too much at the back.
Naomi Girma – 5/10 – A truly weak showing from the world-record signing at the back. You can’t scrutinise Girma too much, as her comeback from injury arrived prematurely due to Nathalie Björn’s injury absence.
Niamh Charles – 3/10 – One of, if not her worst showing in a Chelsea shirt.
Keira Walsh – 3/10 – Poor and almost anonymous.
Sjoeke Nüsken – 7/10 – One of Chelsea’s strongest performers on the day. Controlled the central areas in the opening half an hour, and was only left to scramble from there.
Erin Cuthbert – 6/10 – Strong in moments but rightfully outclassed by the power of Barcelona’s midfield. Struggled to maintain even levels with the pace of the game as it went on.
Sandy Baltimore – 7/10 – Orchestrated Chelsea’s press in the opening thirty minutes. A really disciplined performance despite the dire circumstances.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd – 3/10 – Walked by her Swedish compatriot Rölfo, it was a hard day for Rytting Kaneryd.
Mayra Ramírez – 3/10 – Offered Chelsea absolutely nothing up front, the weakest asset on the day.
Aggie Beever-Jones (46′ for Ramirez) – 6/10 – Injected some form of life into the Chelsea side, but ultimately far too big of a task to ask of a 21-year-old, no matter how high her ceiling may be.
Ashley Lawrence (46′ for Girma) – 5/10 – Struggled.
Wieke Kaptein (60′ for Baltimore) – 6/10 – Offered some creativity, allowing Chelsea to open up in the second half.
Cat Macario (60′ for Cuthbert) – 6/10 – Like Beever-Jones, it was a little too late to make a difference. Macario’s impressive showing in the first leg should’ve earned her a start, something Bompastor will be kicking herself over in the aftermath. Macario did however miss a sitter, not that it would have made much of a difference.
Maika Hamano (72′ for Rytting Kaneryd) – N/A
Barcelona Player Ratings
Cata Coll – 10/10 – Made some key saves but ultimately wasn’t left with a lot of work to do.
Ona Batlle – 7/10 – Barcelona’s weakest defender, but that should be taken very lightly. Still a solid performance, but Baltimore was able to get the better of her on a few occasions. Worked well with CGH up the pitch.
Irene Paredes – 8/10 – Cut Ramírez out of the game and did the same with both Macario and Beever-Jones before being taken off. Very strong showing.
Mapi Leon – 8/10
Fridolina Rölfo – It took me a while to realise that Rytting Kaneryd was still on the pitch as the clock ran down, a testament to just how strong Rölfo was on the day. A brilliant intervention stopped her Swedish compatriot from dragging one back in the closing 20 minutes.
Patricia Guijarro – 9/10 – The best CDM in global football, absolutely rock solid and brilliant on the ball. People will wax lyrical about Bonmatí, Putellas, and the rest, but Patri is the beating heart of this Barcelona team. Cut from a different cloth, this midfielder remains to be one of the best players in the world.
Aitana Bonmati – 8/10 – A world class finish to get the ball rolling for Barcelona, Bonmatí is a cut above of everyone in the Chelsea midfield.
Alexia Putellas 7/10 – Not as outstanding as her first-leg masterclass in Spain, but Putellas’s measured and composed presence allows Barcelona to flourish. Rather than be the star of the show, Putellas was fine to be the maestra pulling all of the strings.
Claudia Pina – 8/10 – Worked Lucy Bronze into the ground and topped it off with a well deserved goal.
Caroline Graham Hansen – 9/10 – She will be giving Niamh Charles nightmares for years to come. A brilliant run to set up the second and an overall headstrong and classy display.
Ewa Pajor – 9/10 – Inevitable. Pajor is the most in-form striker in the world and today was no different.
Ingrid Engen (46′ for Leon) – Strong, made no mistakes.
Jana Fernandez (62′ for Paredes) – N/A
Esmee Brugts (62′ for Pina) – N/A
Salma Paralluelo (62′ for Graham Hansen) – N/A
Vicky Lopez (75′ for Pajor) – N/A
