Overran in midfield and a toothless attack: How Chelsea failed the Barcelona test
Sonia Bompastor's side require a miraculous turnaround in their Champions League semi-final second leg, with their quadruple hopes fading in Barcelona
For only the second time this season, Chelsea suffered a defeat under Sonia Bompastor. This was no ordinary defeat, though; this was a comprehensive dismantling of one of Europe’s best teams this season by the reigning champions, Barcelona.
The home side enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, created more chances, and won more duels, but winning the midfield battle was key to their 4-1 win over Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
Prior to this game, Chelsea had never lost an away game against Barcelona, drawing 1-1 in 2023 and pulling off an impressive 1-0 victory when the two sides met in 2024. While Emma Hayes typically adopted a more pragmatic approach to these big games, Bompastor has turned the Blues into a team that looks to dominate possession regardless of the opponent.
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