Barcelona are in dreamland as they secured a 4-1 win against Chelsea in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) semi-final tie.
It didn’t take long for the drama to unfold at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, as Barcelona were awarded an early penalty following VAR intervention, with Chelsea defender Nathalie Björn deemed to have handled the ball
Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton then produced an outstanding save with her feet to deny Alexia Putellas from the resulting penalty moments later, offering Sonia Bompastor’s side a huge early lifeline in the tie.
Barcelona refused to let their heads drop, and Ewa Pajor eventually fired them in front just after the half-hour mark with a driven effort after Chelsea failed to clear their lines.
Chelsea had to wait until the final minutes of the first half for their first real attempts on goal, with Sandy Baltimore and Aggie Beever-Jones both going close but unable to find the back of the net.
The London club were punished in the second half when Clàudia Pina rounded off a fantastic team move to double Barcelona’s advantage, but Baltimore pulled one back for Chelsea just minutes later, giving her side a route back into the tie.
Hampton was called into action once again in the final 10 minutes, this time denying Pina a second after the forward found space in the box and unleashed a shot on goal.
Moments later, Chelsea were dealt another blow as they made a substitution before a Barcelona corner, with Björn making way for Naomi Girma, and Irene Paredes rose highest to head home Barcelona’s third of the evening.
As the clock ticked into 90 minutes, Pina finally got her second of the game to make it 4-1, after seeing an earlier effort saved and missing a sitter moments before.
With a three-goal cushion, Barcelona now have one foot in the final ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge next week, while Chelsea face an uphill battle and will need an inch-perfect display to have any hope of mounting a comeback.
