Kadeisha Buchanan was proven a controversial crimson card as Chelsea Ladies’s Champions League goals have been ended after holders Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory (2-1 on mixture) in entrance of a sold-out Stamford Bridge.
With Chelsea main 1-0 after inflicting Barcelona’s first dwelling defeat in 5 years within the first leg, Aitana Bonmati’s deflected strike within the twenty fifth minute introduced the guests stage within the tie.
Chelsea did have possibilities to regain the benefit as Melanie Leupolz struck the crossbar from shut vary and Lauren James didn’t convert Sjoeke Nusken’s cutback.
The Blues’ wastefulness continued into the second half as Nusken’s effort hit the foot of the submit earlier than the sport modified with Kadeisha Buchanan’s crimson card. The defender was proven two yellow playing cards in 5 minutes early within the second half, the second a controversial one with the defender showing to win the ball in a problem with Patri Guijarro.
With the participant benefit, Barcelona took management and Bonmati received a penalty after a foul from Lawrence, which Fridolina Rolfo transformed to ship Jonatan Giraldez’s facet into the ultimate the place they may face both PSG or Lyon in Bilbao on Might 25.
For Emma Hayes, defeat in her remaining dwelling recreation at Stamford Bridge additionally noticed one other probability of a trophy slip away earlier than she leaves on the finish of the season to take over the USA nationwide workforce. Nonetheless, consideration will now flip again to the Ladies’s Tremendous League the place Chelsea are locked in a battle with Man Metropolis for the title, with the Blues aiming to ship Hayes off with silverware.
Chelsea’s Ladies’s Champions League goals finish…
Fridolina Rolfo celebrates scoring Barcelona’s second objective from the penalty spot
It was an brisk begin from each side. Barcelona have been urgent excessive, whereas Leupolz and Erin Cuthbert have been snapping into tackles as the 2 sides regarded to get management of the sport. Nonetheless, there have been nerves too, comprehensible for such an enormous recreation and event.
Barcelona finally began to indicate their high quality with their menace popping out huge from Lucy Bronze, Ona Battl, Rolfo and Caroline Graham Hansen.
The guests finally took the lead within the twenty fifth minute. They capitalised on a free cross and Bonmati, the 2023 Ballon d’Or winner, obtained a shot away. The ball took a flick off Buchanan and arrowed previous Hannah Hampton and into the underside nook.
Chelsea responded properly to going behind and may have been stage. Catarina Macario mixed brilliantly with Lauren James earlier than the latter rolled the ball to the again submit for Leupolz, who smashed an effort from shut vary onto the crossbar.
Macario’s shot from the sting of the realm was then pushed away by goalkeeper Catalina Coll earlier than Sjoeke Nusken pounced on a mistimed back-pass, however James couldn’t convert the cross as Barcelona have been handed one other big let-off.
Melanie Leupolz crashes a shot towards the Barcelona crossbar
After the break, Chelsea created the higher alternative, however Nusken was once more wasteful within the penalty space together with her side-footed effort clipping the surface of the submit.
However the recreation modified in 5 second-half minutes. Buchanan obtained the sport’s first reserving for a foul on Salma Paralluelo earlier than selecting up a second 5 minutes later after a problem on Guijarro. The referee reached for a second yellow card however replays instructed Buchanan obtained the ball.
Chelsea confronted an enormous mountain to climb, and Barcelona capitalised on the participant benefit when Bonmati was introduced down within the penalty space by Ashley Lawrence. After a protracted VAR verify, Rolfo transformed from the spot to present Barce the lead within the tie.
In the long run, it proved to be the profitable second as Barcelona used their expertise at this stage to see out the sport to finish Hayes’ goals of profitable the Champions League with Chelsea.
‘WSL or bust for Chelsea now’
Emma Hayes waves to the gang at Stamford Bridge
Evaluation from Sky Sports activities’ Oliver Yew and Charlotte Marsh:
“There will be no winning the Champions League for Emma Hayes at Chelsea.
“The massive speaking level is Buchanan’s controversial crimson card. There’s completely no getting away from it with the defender showing to get all the ball in making her problem. Hayes went straight over to the referee at full-time to makes her level. The house followers made their emotions identified too because the referee headed for the dressing rooms.
“It’s a decision that may not have changed the result. Chelsea were wasteful and Barcelona showed their quality, but it is a decision that had an impact on the game with the tie locked at 1-1 at the time.
“Chelsea will really feel aggrieved however they’ll really feel proud. At full-time, they acknowledged the bought out Stamford Bridge crowd – the primary time this well-known previous floor has been at capability for a girls’s recreation. Hayes has all the time mentioned it could be a dream to promote out the bridge for a girls’s fixture, and in her remaining recreation on the floor, she has achieved it.
“Moments will be pointed to, especially in this leg, but it’s Barcelona who reach another Champions League final – their fourth in a row. There were big celebrations from the Barcelona players on the field and big celebrations from the Barca coaching staff just in front of the dugout. That continued into the dressing rooms, showing they knew they had to dig deep to get past this Chelsea side.
But despite a gallant performance from the Blues in exiting Europe, it’s another trophy that has slipped through Chelsea’s fingertips after losing 1-0 after extra time to Arsenal in the League Cup final in March and their FA Cup exit after a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in April.
“It is now the WSL or bust for Hayes and Chelsea this season.”
What’s next for Chelsea?
Chelsea continue their bid to win the Women’s Super League when they visit Liverpool on Wednesday May, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 7pm.
They then host Bristol City in the WSL on Sunday May 5, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 6.45pm.
Barca reaction: ‘Reaching another final special’ |’We had to give it our all’
Keira Walsh celebrates at full-time
Barcelona head coach Jonatan Giraldez: “We are very happy. We deserved the victory. The first leg we were not better than the opponent. We deserved the qualification, so I am really happy.
“We thought that small particulars by way of attacking positions we improved so much for this recreation and the expertise in these video games. We’re capable of. I’m pleased with them.
“Today we created more clear chances with the ball. We didn’t expect their formation in the first leg and we didn’t create many chances. Today we thought we had to change small details and the performance was really deserved.”
On reaching one other remaining earlier than he leaves Barca, he added: “When I decided in December, I had to end my contract in Barca, all the people said maybe it was not a good decision at that moment of the season, but I think the performance of players was increasing in the last few months. The connection with the players is amazing. I am really happy. To get another final in three seasons is special.”
It’s wonderful, one other remaining. We achieved it, it wasn’t straightforward as a result of we had a troublesome workforce in entrance of us. We needed to sweat our t-shirts to realize it. I’m pleased with my workforce and let’s go in for one more remaining.
Barcelona ahead Fridolina Rolfo: “It’s a great feeling at the moment. I think we did a great game. In the end we controlled it and it was a nice feeling to have. We knew we had to give it our all and I think the mentality from the whole team was so good today.”
On coming from behind: “We had been in this situation before, the final last year we had to score goals and we had three in the second half. We know what it’s like to change a game. We have so much quality in this team, and you believe in it.”
When requested in regards to the distinction this week to the primary leg, she added: “I think there’s many things, but I think today we knew we had to give it our all. We had a great attitude last time but we didn’t create much, we couldn’t create the spaces. This game we were more patient, more calm, and really believed in it.
“We’ve got a profitable mentality within the workforce. Everyone knows it is potential. We’ve got the individuals who can step up within the groups once we want them. Aitana Bonmati scores one objective, she will get the penalty in the long run.”
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