Barcelona play host to the primary leg of their Girls’s Champions League semi-final tie in opposition to Chelsea at Saturday lunchtime.
An ominous take a look at awaits the Blues as they tackle the holders who knocked them out of the competitors at this stage final season. Nevertheless, Emma Hayes’ aspect had been much more aggressive over the 2 legs then, in comparison with the one-sided thrashing they had been subjected to within the 2021 last.
Having conqured Europe twice within the final three seasons, Barcelona proceed to dominate domestically and have dropped solely two factors in Liga F in 2023/24 as they canter to a different title.
As for Chelsea, knocked out of the Girls’s FA Cup semi-finals by Manchester United final weekend, they’re locked in an exciting WSL title battle with Manchester Metropolis. Nevertheless, Europe stays the final unfulfilled ambition for Hayes earlier than she departs the membership on the finish of the season.
This is 90min’s preview of Saturday’s UWCL semi-final first leg.
Barcelona vs Chelsea H2H Document (All Video games)
Present Kind (all competitions)
Barcelona
Chelsea
Barcelona 5-1 Villarreal – 13/04/24
Chelsea 3-0 Aston Villa – 17/04/24
Levante 0-5 Barcelona – 31/04/23
Man Utd 2-1 Chelsea – 14/04/24
Barcelona 3-1 Brann – 28/03/24
Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea – 31/03/24
Actual Madrid 0-3 Barcelona – 24/03/24
Chelsea 1-1 Ajax – 27/03/24
Brann 1-2 Barcelona – 20/03/24
West Ham 0-2 Chelsea – 24/03/24
Nation
TV channel/stay stream
United Kingdom
TNT Sports activities 2, discovery+, discovery+ app
United States
DAZN
Canada
DAZN
Barcelona are carrying no accidents into the tie, with head coach Jonatan Giraldez stating at a press convention on Friday: “They’re all obtainable to play 90 minutes.”
He’s spolit for choices in midfield with a pair of Ballon d’Or winners in Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati, whereas England worldwide Keira Walsh is hopeful of a begin, and she or he may come into the aspect having appeared off the bench within the 5-1 win over Villarreal final weekend.
Barcelona predicted lineup vs Chelsea (4-3-3): Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Engen, Rolfo; Bonmati, Walsh, Putellas; Graham Hansen, Brugts, Caldentey.
Membership captain Millie Vivid is again in rivalry for Chelsea after recovering from a knee harm, having final performed through the 2-2 group stage draw with Actual Madrid. Whether or not she begins is one other matter.
Lauren James can also be match to play following earlier doubts about her health. However Ann-Katrin Berger has accomplished a transfer to NJ/NY Gotham and Sam Kerr is a long-term absentee because of an ACL harm.
It was a closely rotated aspect that beat Aston Villa within the WSL in midweek, with Hayes anticipated to revert to her strongest XI – that might imply as many as seven modifications.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Hampton; Perisset, Carter, Buchanan, Charles; Cuthbert, Leupolz; Kaneryd, James, Reiten; Ramirez.
Chelsea rediscovered some stability with a win over Villa on Wednesday having misplaced within the Conti Cup last to Arsenal and FA Cup semi-finals to Manchester United in consecutive outings.
There’s been a sense of the Blues operating out of gasoline in the direction of the tip of Hayes’ tenure, and so they face the last word take a look at on Saturday in opposition to the world’s greatest.
But Barcelona stay imperious, not hamstrung by a bruising home battle and have untold choices to harm whoever they face. They’re virtually unstoppable on dwelling soil.
