2023-04-27 20:47:10
Barça will once again fight for the women’s Champions League title after beating Chelsea in a vibrant semi-final tie. For the third consecutive season, fourth in the last five campaigns, the Barça team, intractable in Spain, will dispute the continental crown, this time on June 3 at the Philips Stadium in Eindhoven and against the winner of the duel between Arsenal and Wolfsburg , which will be resolved on May 1 after the 2-2 first leg in Germany.
To achieve glory, an unusual exercise in suffering was necessary for a hegemonic team, but with the capacity to suffer in a game that started very well. Barça dominated and, as had already happened at Stamford Bridge, they were able to take the lead early with a goal from Graham Hansen canceled out by the Norwegian attacker. The starting Barça team was better, full of confidence after the 0-1 loss in the first leg in London.
Oshoala also touched the first goal of the duel but the Nigerian had her sights out of tune after a great play by Hansen, the most active. Local chances followed one another, with another shot that was too high, this time by Mariona Caldentey.
Everything seemed under control for Jonatán Giráldez’s team, which, however, began to lose steam as the match entered a slow-paced phase until even allowing Chelsea to reach the most toned half-time.
The resolution of the tie was still up in the air, making it difficult for the long-awaited Alexia Putellas to return, already recovered from her serious injury to the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee but still without filming to meet the demands of an entire Champions League semifinal.
final emotion
Barça’s goal arrived, with a fantastic first touch from Mariona, the impeccable driving of Patri Guijarro and the pass for Hansen, who did not forgive before the departure of Berger, the Chelsea goalkeeper, to bring Barça closer to the desired final in Eindhoven . However, Barca’s joy lasted a breath, which took Reiten to seal the tie after a shot from Kerr was rejected in the first instance by Sandra Paños.
The equalizer redoubled Chelsea’s spirits and forced Barça to cede ground, forced to defend the minimum advantage of the first leg to avoid an extension that minutes before seemed like a distant ghost. Accustomed to dominating with an iron fist in the national competition, this time the Barça team put on their overalls to preserve a draw that is worth its weight in gold and serves up a Champions League final on a platter for which Barça will already be able to count on the best soccer player in the world, Alexia Putellas.
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