BARCELONA VS. CHELSEA, WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIFINAL: PREVIEW, TEAM NEWS, HOW TO WATCH
There simply isn’t a better team in the world of women’s football today than Barcelona. The defending UEFA Women’s Champions League champions still dominate the scene in their home country and abroad, and no one has figured out how to break them yet.
Chelsea got very close last year at Camp Nou. At a smaller stadium, can we finally push ourselves over the line in the first leg of this Champions League semifinal?
Date / Time: Saturday, April 20, 2024, 12.30 GMT; 7:30am EDT; 6pm IST
Venue: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
Referee: Stéphanie Frappart (FRA)
Forecast: Sunny and a gentle breeze
On TV: TNT Sports 2, DAZN1 (UK); none (USA); elsewhere
Streaming: discovery+ (UK); DAZN (USA)
Barcelona team news: It’s hard to imagine how that’s even possible, but this year’s Barça have evolved even further from their form last season. In Liga F they have a +96 goal difference in 23 matches, with just a single draw in that span.
In fact Barça have yet to lose a match this season. Their last defeat was to Madrid CFF back in May, in the final league match of the previous term.
To top if off they have an almost clean slate in terms of injuries. Their only absence is defender Mapi León, whose knee injury has kept her off the pitch since November.
Chelsea team news: Most teams in the world would celebrate a 3-0 league win heading into a continental cup clash. But manager Emma Hayes demands very high standards, and the emphatic win against Aston Villa last Wednesday — in which we could have had more goals if we had been willing to push — still left some wanting more.
However, limiting our efforts against Villa could yield a positive result in Spain. Players such as Ève Périsset and Melanie Leupolz got a well deserved rest, while attackers Guro Reiten, Mayra Ramírez and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd only played a few minutes.
Unlike Barça, we haven’t had much luck when it comes to injuries. Defenders Aniek Nouwen, Maren Mjelde, Millie Bright and Nathalie Björn, as well as attackers Mia Fishel and Sam Kerr, remain out of contention.
Previously: The Blues went to Camp Nou and put up a great fight against the eventual Champions League winners. The 1-1 draw a 22-win streak at the time.