Barcelona prevailed 4-1 at Stamford Bridge to seal an 8-2 aggregate rout in the Women's Champions League semi-finals.
2024/2025 UEFA Women's Champions League
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Match Report
Many would argue that the damage had already been done in Spain last weekend. With the deficit at just one after 80 minutes at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, Sonia Bompastor's side made the mistake of trying to seek another. As they broke forward, Barcelona sniffed blood and went for the kill, Irene Paredes and then Claudia Pina hitting two more against them.
Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas had to rein in her team-mates' celebrations at the full-time whistle. The job was not yet done, she argued. But for Chelsea, welcoming the back-to-back Champions League champions to west London with a three-goal deficit represented less of an uphill battle and more of an almighty, mountain-sized war.
A passerby wouldn't have been able to tell walking along the bucolic streets near Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon. The sun was shining and a sense of quiet optimism followed the 25,000-plus Chelsea fans through Todd Boehly's gates and into this historic stadium.
But then, as many have found facing this relentless winning machine that is Barcelona women's team, that hope was quickly, painfully extinguished.
This time it was by none other than Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati, whose 25th minute goal sucked the life out of this fixture and sent the back-to-back Champions League champions on their way to a fifth consecutive final.
After an optimistic start from Chelsea, albeit without too much to concern the Liga F leaders, Bonmati picked up the ball from deep in her own half and surged towards a gaping hole in the Blues' back line.
Leaving a flailing Niamh Charles in the dirt, Bonmati powered towards Hannah Hampton. Curiously, neither Sjoeke Nusken nor Millie Bright went towards the Spanish World Cup winner, and Bonmati preyed on the space before rifling her shot into the roof of Hampton's net.
The mood around the Bridge was sinking when, 15 minutes later, Ewa Pajor unravelled herself from Bright's grasp and tapped in Caroline Graham Hansen's pass from close range.
Seconds later Claudia Pina came back to haunt Chelsea again. Receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty area, the 23-year-old fired past Hampton's outstretched glove and into the top-right corner. The score was 7-1 on aggregate, and the Blues were dead and buried.
Bompastor wrung the changes at half-time, bringing on Aggie Beever-Jones for Mayra Ramirez after the Colombian struggled to impose herself in the first-half. Ashley Lawrence also came on for Naomi Girma, and Chelsea shored things up after the break.
They came close through chances from Catarina Macario and Lucy Bronze, but Hampton also got busy, too, and Salma Paralluelo twisted the knife in the final minute of normal time for Barcelona's fourth.
Wieke Kaptein's 93rd minute consolation was met by raucous applause. A goal on the scoresheet was all these fans wanted to see at this point.
Barcelona will face Arsenal or Bompastor's former side Lyon in the final next month – the winner of that game will be decided later today.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
0' Highlight from Chelsea vs Barcelona
25' GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona (Aitana Bonmati)
41' GOAL! Chelsea 0-2 Barcelona (E. Pajor)
44' GOAL! Chelsea 0-3 Barcelona (Claudia Pina)
55' Match Event for Chelsea vs Barcelona
83' Highlight from Chelsea vs Barcelona
90' GOAL! Chelsea 1-4 Barcelona (Salma Paralluelo)
Line-ups
Chelsea XI: L. Bronze, M. Bright, E. Cuthbert, K. Walsh, S. Baltimore, N. Girma, M. Ramírez, J. Rytting-Kaneryd, S. Nüsken, H. Hampton, Niamh Charles
Subs: Becky Spencer, A. Lawrence, G. Reiten, O. Jean-François, M. Mpomé, C. Macário, Aggie Beever-Jones, Wieke Kaptein, Maika Hamano, Katie Cox, Lola Brown
Barcelona XI: C. Hansen, Alexia Putellas, F. Rolfö, E. Pajor, Mapi León, Irene Paredes, Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmati, Cata Coll, Ona Batlle Pascual, Claudia Pina
Subs: Marta Torrejón, I. Engen, E. Roebuck, Gemma Font, Jana Fernandez, Esmee Brugts, Alba Caño, Salma Paralluelo, Victoria Lopez-Felix, Sydney Schertenleib