As home seasons draw to a alike, the giants of Ladies’s Ecu soccer are because of combat it out this weekend and keep a place within the Champions League last.
With each fixtures finely i’m ready, Chelsea will welcome wave champions Barcelona to Stamford Bridge and attempt to finish their reign.
Lyon will advance to the Parc des Princes to stand Paris Saint-Germain having a look to keep their eleventh look within the last.
They have got performed within the showpiece game extra occasions than any alternative staff within the festival and also are essentially the most a hit aspect within the match’s historical past with 8 titles total and 5 consecutive crowns from 2016 to 2020, so PSG may have their paintings decrease out.
The #UWCLfinal deciders are coming #MondayMotivation
— UEFA Ladies’s Champions League (@UWCL) April 22, 2024
PSG v Lyon
Lyon confirmed their pedigree within the first leg as they got here again from 2-0 ill at house to win 3-2.
Les Parisiennes spent a lot of the primary 1/2 absorbing early force from their French opposite numbers, however within the forty fourth negligible Marie Katoto used to be horrendous correct and struck from simply outdoor the six-yard field.
Sandy Baltimore’s move discovered Katoto as she peeled clear of Ellie Chippie who used to be blind to the chance that lurked in the back of her an off-balance Katoto tucked it into the base left-hand nook.
Paris Saint Germain began the second one 1/2 as they ended the primary, Katoto pouncing on a deflected shot doubled her staff’s govern and took her tally to seven objectives in 8 fits within the festival this time period.
Lyon, alternatively, had been affected person of their pursuit of objectives, and within the 79th negligible, Ellie Chippie decrease the ball again from out large to Kadidiatou Diani, who toe-poked it into the base nook.
The comeback used to be on with ten mins of the 90 to walk.
A bad on Lindsey Horan resulted in a free-kick that Selma Bacha dropped at the threshold of the field, the place Wendy Renard took it ill and handed to Melchie Dumornay who dropped her shoulder to lose her defender and fired a lavish shot into the right-hand nook of the target.
The comeback used to be on and within the eighty fifth negligible, Les Parisiennes may just no longer halt stream then stream of Lyon assaults. A protracted throw led to Dumornay discovering range outdoor the 18-yard field and discovering Amel Majri, who dummied the ball to let it run pace her prior to burying it into the base nook.
What to anticipate
PSG will want each resonance within the Parc des Princes to roar them on if they’ll knock out the previous champions.
They have got scored of their ultimate seven video games within the Champions League, their longest run of video games with a target within the festival since a run of 13 from April 2021 to April 2022.
PSG will glance to Marie Katoto, who has scored seven objectives in 8 fits, and is averaging 0.88 consistent with sport. The French ahead has had 27 overall makes an attempt this time period, getting off 3.38 photographs consistent with game on reasonable.
@MarieKatoto has scored seven objectives in her ultimate six #UWCL appearances.@PSG_Feminines percent.twitter.com/c3AOJCRmtw
— UEFA Ladies’s Champions League (@UWCL) April 26, 2024
All seven of her objectives were from throughout the field, the place her horrendous accuracy way she is through a long way PSG’s largest ultimatum on this match-up. She may be one target in the back of the Yellowish Boot chief, Kadidiatou Diani, who has netted 8 objectives in 9 fits.
Assault for Paris might be the most efficient method of defence, because the depth of Lyon’s persevered attacking force is what resulted in them shedding their two-goal benefit. PSG have scored in each and every in their ultimate seven video games within the Champions League, netting 17 objectives in that run.
Lyon confirmed what all superior champions have is the muscle reminiscence to win, turning that consequence round used to be up there with one in all their best-ever performances in a semi-final.
They have got scored of their ultimate 10 video games within the Champions League, their longest run of video games with a target within the festival since a run of 12 video games from December 2021 to December 2022.
Lyon have feature around the tone. Diani, who made 114 appearances for PSG, will go back to her former membership having a look to be the protagonist of this sport then she clawed her brandnew aspect again into the secured.
Chelsea v Barcelona
Emma Hayes and her Chelsea aspect travelled to Barcelona realizing handiest the easiest efficiency would give them a probability of taking a good consequence again to Stamford Bridge.
Barca, four-time finalists within the ultimate 5 seasons, have confirmed they’re a gigantic of girls’s soccer.
The pair have historical past within the match. Chelsea had been humbled within the 2021 last, shedding 4-0.
Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Hansen had been key to placing the sport past the Blues prior to they even reached half-time. Closing season, the 2 facets met once more – this week it used to be a miles nearer affair during which Hayes’s aspect had been narrowly defeated 2-1 over the 2 legs.
Recap of the primary leg
Then what used to be an calmly matched first 1/2, Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert curled an attempt into the manage right-hand nook. The build-up play games have been affected person, with the Blues profitable the ball again from a throw-in close the byline; some fast ft and one-touch passing paying homage to their Catalan opposition used to be plenty to crack the impasse.
Chelsea have scored of their ultimate six video games within the Champions League, their longest run of video games with a target within the festival since a run of 8 fits between October 2022 and March 2023.
Barcelona (4) and Chelsea (3) sat manage of the desk for blank sheets within the festival, and the Blues got into half-time aiming to check Barca’s tally.
It seemed as although Barca would have a probability to dent Chelsea’s hopes of a blank sheet when a shot bounced off the arm of Chelsea’s Kadeisha Buchanan as she battled for the ball with Salma Paralluelo.
Then again, referee Stephanie Frappart used to be referred to as to the VAR display screen, and the decision used to be made that the Barcelona participant have been offside and the verdict to award a penalty used to be reversed.
Chelsea in point of fact will have to have made it 2-0, with Lauren James and Mayra Ramirez each squandering fat probabilities.
Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Putellas may have snatched an equaliser within the death seconds, but sliced large from the most efficient alternative Barca produced.
Chelsea have stored a blank sheet in 4 in their 9 Champions League video games, greater than any alternative staff, and are appearing the method of possible champions.
What to anticipate within the upcoming secured
The Blues have bought 35,00 tickets for Stamford Bridge with nonetheless a couple of extra hours to bind the playground out. Hayes has made it sunny to her aspect that that is handiest half-time, and they’ll want any other super efficiency to peer them into their 2d last. Hayes is bowing out on the finish of the season, to top the United States girls’s nationwide staff this summer time.
Stamford Bridge. percent.twitter.com/LcPneABTfM
— Chelsea FC Ladies (@ChelseaFCW) April 26, 2024
Chelsea have no longer given her the dazzling goodbye marketing campaign she would have dreamed of to this point then failing to win both of the 2 home cups.
The WSL name continues to be inside of their take hold of, although Manchester Town are a fierce rival, however the Champions League is the trophy that has illuded this lavish age for Chelsea and would crown off the Hayes dynasty.
The Blues will want to remove their probabilities once they come and the likes of James and Ramirez will want to display the method they’ve within the league.
James has scored 13 objectives and equipped two assists this season within the WSL.
Jess Carter, who ran the Blues defence within the first leg, can be key. Millie Glorious is are compatible and to be had, a spice up for the squad as she has been lacking for lots of the season.
Hannah Hampton may want to have the efficiency of her occupation within the Chelsea target.
Barca tried 11 photographs within the first leg, however that used to be their lowest overall in one game within the Champions League this time period, however with two Ballon d’Or winners of their squad, the Ecu champions undoubtedly possess the mentality and feature to show this secured round.
Each ties are calmly matched and with out a lack of certainty are two of essentially the most thrilling ties we now have viewable within the festival’s historical past.
