Chelsea host UWCL defending champions Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Saturday for the second leg of their semi-final clash.
Emma Hayes’ side have a one-goal lead heading into this weekend’s game after Erin Cuthbert scored the only goal in the first leg in Barcelona last week. However, Chelsea are aware of the threat their opponents pose, having had their Champions League hopes dashed twice by the Catalan club in the last four years.
Barcelona are the current defending champions of the competition and are hoping to reach the final for the fourth consecutive year. Chelsea, on the other hand, have only appeared in the UWCL final once in their long history, but were soundly beaten 4-0 by their opponents in the 2021 showdown on Saturday.
The London team may be one of the most successful clubs in England, but their record in Europe cannot keep up. With Hayes set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season after more than a decade at the club, this represents a final chance to secure the trophy that has somehow always eluded her.
Here is 90minis a preview of the UWCL semi-final second leg on Saturday.
Chelsea vs. Barcelona H2H Results (All Games)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Chelsea |
Barcelona |
|---|---|
|
Barcelona 0-1 Chelsea – 04/20/24 |
Levante Las Planas 2-4 Barcelona – 04/24/24 |
|
Chelsea 3-0 Aston Villa – 04/17/24 |
Barcelona 0-1 Chelsea – 04/20/24 |
|
Man Utd 2-1 Chelsea – 14/04/24 |
Barcelona – Villarreal 5:1 – 04/13/24 |
|
Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea – 03/31/24 |
Levante 0-5 Barcelona – 03/31/24 |
|
Chelsea 1-1 Ajax – 03/27/24 |
Barcelona 3-1 Fire – 03/28/24 |
|
country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
Great Britain |
TNT Sports 3, DAZN |
|
United States |
DAZN |
|
Canada |
DAZN |
Chelsea captain Millie Bright returned to the squad for the first leg last week after being sidelined for a long time with a knee injury. Hayes confirmed she is available for the second leg but it remains to be seen whether she will get minutes on the pitch as she has not featured since the 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the group stage in November.
Elsewhere, the Chelsea coach also confirmed that Nathalie Björn and Maren Mjelde were training as usual and are expected to be in the squad on Saturday. Björn has been out since the beginning of March due to calf problems.
Predicted line-up for Chelsea against Barcelona (3-5-2): Hampton; Charles, Carter, Buchanan; Lawrence, Nusken, Leupolz, Cuthbert, Kaneryd; Ramirez, James
The guests will still be without long-term absentee Mapi Leon, who underwent knee surgery at the end of last year. The defender was not named in the squad for the game against Chelsea but traveled to London with her teammates.
Jonatan Giraldez’s side were in league play against Levante Las Planas during the week, but the coach took the opportunity to rest some key players ahead of another important European game. Keira Walsh was benched on Wednesday, while Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati, Salma Paralluelo, Fridolina Rolfo and Caroline Graham Hansen were not involved at all.
Predicted line-up for Barcelona against Chelsea (4-3-3): Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Engen, Rolfo; Bonmati, Walsh, Kieselstein; Hansen, Paralluelo, Caldentey
Chelsea’s form has faltered in recent weeks after defeats in the Conti Cup final against Arsenal and against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals. However, they remain dominant in the league and, unlike Barcelona, did not have a game to play during the week.
The one-goal lead is slim and an early goal from the visitors could make it a long and tiring afternoon for Chelsea. But with the experience in the squad, the Stamford Bridge crowd behind them and if they build on last week’s defensive masterclass, they should have enough to get over the finish line.