Barcelona vs Chelsea LIVE: Women’s Champions League result and reaction after the Blues’ historic win

Someway, Chelsea and Emma Hayes produced the unthinkable. The English champions appeared to outlive and keep within the tie, however Erin Cuthbert’s aim and a first-ever victory towards the all-conquering Barcelona ensures Chelsea will take a 1-0 lead again to Stamford Bridge for subsequent week’s semi-final second leg. Keep away from defeat there, and Hayes will probably be a recreation away from ending her 12-year Chelsea reign with a closing shot on the solely trophy that has eluded her.

This consequence, ensures the ultimate weeks of her time at Chelsea have produced one other well-known day within the membership’s historical past. Chelsea had been excellent and Barcelona, a workforce who gained each trophy there was to win final season, failed to attain for the primary time in nearly two years.

Emma Hayes had blended emotions regardless of seeing Chelsea condemn holders Barcelona to a primary dwelling defeat for 5 years and edge nearer to the Ladies’s Champions League closing.

Erin Cuthbert’s first-half aim clinched a treasured 1-0 semi-final first-leg win on the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys to set the Ladies’s Tremendous League leaders up completely for the return at Stamford Bridge subsequent Saturday.

It was a primary aggressive victory for the Blues over Barca, who knocked them out on the similar stage final season on their technique to a second European title, and got here courtesy of an excellent defensive effort – however boss Hayes was left questioning what might need been.

The Chelsea supervisor known as for a sold-out Stamford Bridge for the return leg and stated: “It’s important.”

“Our women need to play in entrance of a full home to offer ourselves the absolute best probability,” Hayes stated.

“We are going to want the gang. Barcelona will throw completely the whole lot at us. For us to progress, we want completely the whole lot.”

So, a historic afternoon for Chelsea as they beat Barcelona for the primary time, and concurrently put one foot within the Champions League closing.

They take a 1-0 result in Stamford Bridge for the second leg, as they bid to get to only a second closing in Emma Hayes’ final season in cost.

That recreation will happen per week at this time, on 27 April at Stamford Bridge. It’s going to kick off at 5.30pm BST.

Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh spoke to BBC after the sport.

“We’re very dissatisfied. No person needs to lose at dwelling and it’s a large recreation.

“We performed giant elements of the sport of their half and had a lot of the ball. Now we have so many particular gamers and we’re actually constructive going into the second leg. The job just isn’t finished.

“It’s tough in midfield. They had been very intense, very aggressive.

We had more room on the skin. We are able to nonetheless transfer the ball so much faster facet to facet and that’s the place the areas had been. Now we have issues to enhance on however we had clear possibilities and we will take that into the subsequent recreation.”

On the return leg, she says that she imagines “Chelsea will play a lot the identical and we all know we’ve a large job to do once we get there”.

Jess Carter deservedly gained Uefa’s participant of the match after an impressive defensive effort, although goalscorer Erin Cuthbert gained the award on Dazn. Each had been large at this time.

For Chelsea, consideration stays solely on making ready for the return leg, which kicks off at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 27 April at 5.30pm.

The London facet don’t play once more within the WSL till 1 Could, away towards Liverpool. They at present lead the league on aim distinction from Manchester Metropolis.

Emma Hayes is the primary to talk to DAZN. The outgoing Chelsea supervisor says that it’s “simply half-time”, and he or she is “a bit of pissed off to be trustworthy, nevertheless it’s a tough place to return”.

“A number of groups come right here and go one or two down early on. They’ve unbelievable gamers which are world-class in the whole lot they do, however I believe for probably the most half we restricted them. 

“We’ve underperformed when we’ve performed at dwelling [in the past], however I believe they’ve one other degree in them. Now we have to anticipate that. 

“You want a bit of little bit of luck. The best way they play soccer is gorgeous.”

Relating to subsequent week’s return leg, she says that Chelsea “will solely be as robust as the gang that comes out”.

“It’s essential that we pack Stamford Bridge out to offer ourselves an opportunity towards the very best workforce on this planet. 

“Should you change off for one second, they may defeat us.”

For the house facet, that’s their first aggressive defeat since 2019.

Consideration will briefly return to the Liga F, although it’ll be arduous to totally think about their fixture towards Levante Las Planas in midweek.

The Catalan facet at present lead the league by 9 factors on rivals Actual Madrid in second, and so they have a recreation in hand too.

So, Chelsea beat Barcelona for the primary time and head again to Stamford Bridge with a slender lead within the tie.

They’ll be gutted that Ramirez hadn’t put them 2-0 up earlier, however they’ll be equally relieved that Putellas couldn’t put that probability away proper on the finish. How pricey might these two misses show for all sides?

The finalists will probably be determined per week at this time in London.