Barcelona is assured of attaining its purpose of reaching a 3rd consecutive ladies’s Champions League last when it hosts Chelsea on Thursday, boasting a 1-0 benefit from the semifinal first leg.
The Catalans, who lifted the trophy as a part of a treble in 2021 with a 4-0 romp over the Blues, have reached three finals within the final 4 seasons.
With Olympique Lyon eradicated by Chelsea — the French facet beat Barcelona within the different two finals — Jonatan Giraldez’s workforce is favorite to raise the trophy once more.
Caroline Graham Hansen struck early at Stamford Bridge final weekend to offer her facet the lead within the tie and though Chelsea clung on to offer itself a lifeline, Barcelona will relish its probabilities enjoying at Camp Nou.
Giraldez’s facet has scored 23 objectives in simply 4 video games at house within the Champions League this season, conceding simply as soon as, when it crushed Roma 5-1 within the quarterfinals.
“I think we had control, we got the goal and could have scored a couple more, but, in the end, it was a really good game,” Graham Hansen advised reporters Tuesday.
“If you see our statistics in recent years, we have lost away from home (in Europe). We have still gone through, but the away games have been tough.
“Now we have a great chance to reach another final here at home in front of our fans.”
The Norwegian ahead says that triumphing in Europe is the membership’s principal purpose as soon as once more — it’s poised to raise Liga F on Sunday, a contest through which it has 60 consecutive victories.
“Our big objective this season is to win the Champions League and if we get to the final we are one step closer to that,” added the winger.
“I promise I will do everything in my power to achieve it.”
‘Incredible feeling’
Emma Hayes’ Chelsea facet labored laborious within the first leg and stopped Barcelona racking up an even bigger scoreline regardless of dominating the sport.
However, Barcelona midfielder Ingred Engen thinks that the benefit is nice sufficient to offer her facet a strong platform for the second leg.
“I think it’s a strong result for us — it’s not like we need to have a 3-0 lead to feel good,” stated the Norwegian on Tuesday.
“Now we know we are playing at Camp Nou with our fans, which gives us an incredible feeling, so for us it’s a good result for the second leg.”
Barcelona set two world file attendances for girls’s soccer final season within the Champions League, with over 90,000 attending their quarterfinal in opposition to Real Madrid and semifinal in opposition to Wolfsburg, 5-2 and 5-1 wins respectively.
Chelsea coach Hayes was comfortable her workforce didn’t crumble after Barcelona’s early strike within the first leg, because it did within the 2021 last in Gothenburg, conceding 4 throughout the first 36 minutes.
Alexia Putellas shone for Barcelona that evening and should return to the bench after lacking all the season up to now with an ACL damage, whereas Lucy Bronze stays a doubt after a knee damage within the first leg.
“I wanted to be in the tie and we’re in the tie,” stated Hayes.
“We have to prepare again for another game. Now players have experienced that (2021 defeat) and it’s important we learn and stay in the tie. That was my big message — stay in the tie.”
Chelsea dug deep regardless of accidents to see off Lyon on penalties within the quarterfinals and it’ll give it hope of an unlikely consequence at Camp Nou.
“We limited them to as few chances as we possibly could and I’ll take that going into the next game,” added Hayes.
“I was disappointed with our forward play but we’ll work on it.”
