Chelsea finally produced the kind of performance fans have long hoped to see against Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League — yet they walked away with only a 1-1 draw and a sense of disappointment.
Despite years of frustration against the Spanish champions, the Blues controlled much of the match, dominated the first half, and created multiple clear scoring opportunities. Ellie Carpenter gave Chelsea a deserved lead with a superb finish, but it lasted only eight minutes before Ewa Pajor capitalised on a failed clearance to equalise.
Carpenter later had the chance to win it but dragged her close-range shot wide with only the goalkeeper to beat. In that moment, head coach Sonia Bompastor seemed to realise their chance to take down Barcelona had slipped away.
Substitute Catarina Macario also saw a goal disallowed for a narrow offside, adding to Chelsea’s frustrations as they dropped to sixth in the league phase — two points behind Barcelona.
“We had opportunities to win, so I’m frustrated for that reason,” Bompastor said.
Even though the performance was a massive step up from their 8-2 semi-final aggregate defeat last season, Chelsea’s lack of clinical finishing denied them the victory they deserved.
Chelsea’s Tactical Growth Shows — but Ruthlessness Still Missing
Chelsea players looked visibly deflated at full-time, hands on hips, knowing they had done almost everything right except putting the game to bed. Barcelona — the team that has ended their Champions League runs in four of the past five seasons — once again escaped without defeat.
Former Chelsea defender Anita Asante summed up the mood:
“This is the best performance I’ve seen from Chelsea all season.”
Barcelona manager Pere Romeu also admitted this was a very different Chelsea from last year’s semi-final collapse. Bompastor’s new tactical approach paid off — she explained she was “too ambitious” last season and made key adjustments to avoid being exposed out of possession.
Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze compared the match to a strategic battle:
“I was saying to Naomi Girma after the game that we were playing chess.”
Girma Delivers Outstanding Performance
Naomi Girma, Chelsea’s high-profile £900,000 signing in January, delivered her standout performance since joining the club. After struggling with a knee injury, she finally showcased the defensive quality Chelsea paid for.
Her most crucial intervention came in the first half when she sprinted across goal to block a near-certain strike from Caroline Graham Hansen — moments before Chelsea scored at the other end.
Nikita Parris praised her composed and intelligent defending:
“She was defensively solid… She can be proud of her performance.”
Bompastor also acknowledged her impact, saying Girma’s experience and composure were vital in shutting down Barcelona’s attacks.
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