Emma Hayes spoke to DAZN after one of her greatest victories.
“It’s just half-time. Nobody should get carried away with that and to be honest I’m disappointed we didn’t get the second goal. It’s a difficult place to come, they carried out the game plan I asked them to do so from that perspective I’m happy.
“I think I know how to come away from home and get a result. We have not performed against Barcelona at home. We have under-performed when we played at home. Barcelona have another level in them and I think that’s clear. Maybe they don’t feel they were at their best today and we have to anticipate that.”
“We will only be as strong as the crowd hat comes out. It’s important we pack Stamford bridge out to give half a chance against the best team in the world. We are at half-time and there is another level to Barcelona.”
Here’s Suzanne Wrack’s report from Barcelona.
Full-time: Barcelona 0-1 Chelsea
Chelsea have done it, the first defeat of the season for Barcelona. Emma Hayes’ dream lives on. A repeat performance in the second leg and Chelsea will return to the final. Erin Cuthbert’s goal did it and so did a supreme show of defending. Well done, Chelsea.
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90+9 min: Every Chelsea player back and defending, clearing balls from Graham Hansen and Bronze. A last-ditch free-kick comes into the box is nodded down and Putellas must score..but doesn’t and Chelsea have won!
90+8 min: Macario escapes down the wing, and might even have got her shot off, only to be crowded out.
90+6 min: Jess Carter comes across to stop a Paralluelo pass getting anywhere. It’s been a masterclass of defending.
90+5 min: Chelsea take a while over a corner, but fail to make anything of it. Lucy Bronze sets off with the ball and eventually Hampton comes out to sweep up the danger as Graham Hansen steals in.
90+3 min: Emma Hayes is a few minutes from a huge coup and she orders her players on, hoping they can hang on.
90+2 min: Relief for Chelsea as the ball ends up in the hands of Hannah Hampton, and then more time is used as Ramirez, who was excellent, comes off and on comes Reiten.
90 min: Chelsea win a free-kick and the home fans are aghast. There will be nine minutes added on.
89 min: Better from Barca but crosses from Rodolfo and Bronze both skid past teammates.
87 min: Another fine run by Ramirez goes unrewarded. She gets to the line but there’s nobody there to knock in the cross.
85 min: Barcelona get a chance. Hansen’s ball and Paralluelo’s shot is poor, and way off target. That’s the closest they have come all game.
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83 min: Real frustration in the stadium and complaints from Bonmati as Nusken receives treatment. Chelsea are killing the clock but have a long spell of time added on to see out, too.
80 min: Macario whips in the free-kick and that’s cleared rather too easily.
79 min: Patri is booked for hauling back a galloping Ramirez. Rightly so. She complains but has no grounds for complaint.
78 min: Barcelona aren’t used to losing and they look somewhat bemused by being so. Chelsea have done a right number on them.
76 min: With that denied penalty and going so close, Chelsea might be even further ahead.
75 min: Chelsea pushing up and up, creating huge problems for Barca. Ramirez, for Chelsea, holds off Patri, and spins. She fires wide but that’s great centre-forward play.
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73 min: Lauren James departs the scene, as does Parades, and on come Vicki Lopez and Macario.
72 min: Barcelona still playing patiently but how long can that remain the case? Jess Carter, who has played a fine game, clears out the danger once again.
71 min: Short corner is cleared by Nusken, and play stops as Hannah Hampton goes to check on a stricken Parades.
69 min: Graham Hansen, who has been quiet all game, finally goes on a run. Putellas joins the throng, too, and then Rodolfo has a shot blocked. The resultant corner is leathered away.
68 min: Chelsea’s tactics and muscle are dominating proceedings here. Paralluelo is nullified by strong, keen-eyed defending by Jess Carter.
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66 min: Paralluelo sets off on a burst and gets her shot in but it flies miles over.
64 min: Decent attack from Chelsea. James is given time and space to shoot but drags her left-foot shot wide. Barcelona have not been good here. They’ve been rattled and no mistake.
62 min: Was Ramirez fouled in the Barcelona box? Paredes looked to foul her. VAR is looking but no foul given. A raft of subs are made as Putellas and Bronze come on for Barcelona.
61 min: Barcelona yet to have a shot on target. The Hayes plan has been highly successful.
60 min: Cheers as Putellas warms up. Jeers for a recovered Jess Carter.
58 min: More boos as Jess Carter goes down after a collision with her own teammate. Barcelona players complaining about timewasting.
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57 min: Gordon gets back in touch again: “After a nervous start, Chelsea have produced a wonderful first half. They’ve shut down all Barca’s threats, Hampton has not had a save to make. It must be ages since Barca did not have a shot on target in the first half. They need Putellas.”
56 min: That all took a very long time. And there are very loud boos to greet that decision – or change of decision. Chelsea still lead. That’s the main news.
Barca penalty ruled out by VAR!
There’s a hell of a long wait for the penalty, a VAR check as Caldentey has to wait as she takes the kick. Suddenly, Stephanie Frappart runs to the TV screen. All very odd, even for VAR. Was there a pull or an offside? Offside as Buchanan handled it. Hampton gets to take a goal kick rather than save a penalty.
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Penalty to Barca!
Buchanan handballed it as Patri shoots. All on Hannah Hampton now.
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50 min: Good pressure from Chelsea, Ashley Lawrence cuts inside to shoot after a Nusken run causes a few Barca nerves.
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49 min: Barcelona pressing a bit higher and with more vigour than in the first half.
47 min: A very long wait for what was a very obvious offside. Barcelona knew the flag was coming and still played on.
46 min: Back underway in Catalonia, and more of the same from Chelsea would do. Chelsea have won all 13 games they have taken the lead in this season.
Half-time: Barcelona 0-1 Chelsea
Halfway to a great heist for Emma Hayes, with that excellent defending and then Erin Cuthbert’s expert strike. Barcelona have been made to look mortal.
45 min: As the half ticks on, Barcelona show no sign of speeding up, getting it launched.
43 min: Barcelona aren’t panicking, they try to resume their passing game. But Chelsea remain resolute and Keira Walsh makes a mess of a pass she would normally complete with ease.
41 min: All is going to plan for Chelsea. They have been excellent, and fully deserve their lead.
Goal! Barcelona 0-1 Chelsea (Cuthbert, 40)
What a strike, what an attack. Nusken and Cuthvert combine and lash! It’s there!
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38 min: Chelsea are pressing well and Barcelona haven’t dominated in the faashion they are used to.
36 min: Coll, the Barcelona keeper claims that with some ease.
35 min: Emma Hayes is very well dressed for the occasion in natty blue suit. From the sidelines, she sees her team force a corner.
33 min: Chelsea’s best football so far. Ramirez lays the ball back to Leupolz who smashes wide.
32 min: This is a very tight game. Two well-matched teams.
30 min: Chelsea chance! James’s cross but nobody close enough to get a shot on goal.
29 min: Bonmati shows off her close control again but equally, Chelsea continue to defend well.
27 min: Hannah Hampton’s long ball finds Laurence on the charge but again the ball fails to stick for Chelsea’s attackers.
25 min: Chelsea take their time with buildup, and win a free-kick but Cuthbert’s delivery is not good enough, and the ball is cleared.
22 min: Chelsea just can’t get the out ball to stick. James ends up passing to nobody, and Paralluelo speeds away, only for Charles to again show off her defensive qualities.
21 min: Charles has to head away when Caldentey speeds to the byline and creates panic in the Chelsea defence.
19 min: James drops deep to receive the ball. The Chelsea forward line has been starved of service.
17 min: Graham Hansen’s corner is cleared by Cuthbert. Chelsea are defending well.
16 min: Big chance for Paralluelo, but Jess Carter closes down the danger after Bonmati had set up the striker to shoot on goal.
15 min: Gordon in Aberdeen gets in touch: “I expect Chelsea to play a back five, as they did in the game at the Camp Nou last year, with Nusken as the third centre back.
“Not surprised that Bronze is benched by Barca, when they can play Battle and Rolfo as FBs. Surprised, though, that Putellas is only on the bench, I suggest that she is surprised too, Barcelona’s X post shows her rather subdued as she came into the stadium.:
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14 min: Corner forced by the dangerous Paralluelo but Barca take that short, deciding their quick passing is the best foot forward. Chelsea eventually clear but with some difficulty.
12 min: Some scary seconds for Chelsea as Buchanan clears after Bonmati and Graham Hansen both make incursions.
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10 min: Chelsea continue to look solid if not too capable of attacking. Kaneryd sets off on a sojourn into the heart of the Barca defence but the ball is eventually cleared.
9 min: Ramirez is penalised for pressing hard on Batlle.
7 min: Jess Carter has to knock behind when Graham Hansen sets up an attack, and the Norwegian will take the corner. The ball ends up in the hands of Hannah Hampton but there were some nerves there.
6 min: Chelsea on the attack, where Carter decides to keep the ball and it finds itself to Niamh Charles. Good patient play before Lauren James sets off on a run. The ball is lost but this is far better from Chelsea.
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4 min: Decent couple of minutes for Chelsea in being able to break up the flow of Barcelona’s passing tempo.
2 min: Reminder: Chelsea have never beaten Barcelona. It already looks as if they will have to suffer, do plenty of defending.
And away we go!
1 min: It’s sunny in Barcelona, where they are playing at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Bonmati, soon enough, gets a touch, as does Keira Walsh at the base of midfield. Graham Hansen has a sniff of a chance but slips over.
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The teams are in the tunnel, and the Barcelona anthems are ringing out.
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Barbara Charone is the legendary music biz PR behind Madonna, Keith Richards, Depeche Mode and many more. An American, she’s nevertheless Proper Chels.
Chelsea board member Barbara Charone is here in Barcelona. Will be only the third time she’s missed a men’s Chelsea game at Wembley in 40 years, but she made the decision to come and watch the women’s Champions League semi-final instead.
— Kathryn Batte (@KathrynBatte) April 20, 2024
Those teams: For Chelsea: Lauren James is back from injury, while Millie Bright is in the matchday squad for the first time since November after recovering from a knee injury. Guro Reiten is also on the bench. Melanie Leupolz, Erin Cuthbert, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Mayra Ramirez all come in, five changes since the midweek defeat of Aston Villa.
For Barca: Lucy Bronze is on the bench but Keira Walsh will play in midfield alongside Aitana Bonmati, the best player in the game.
At the start of March there was talk of a historic quadruple, Hayes having been part of the Arsenal setup that achieved the feat in 2007 as assistant manager to Vic Akers. Now, whisper it, a departure from club football after a trophyless season, with Barcelona firm favourites to reach a fifth final in six years and Manchester City level on points with the reigning Women’s Super League champions, is far from unlikely.
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The teams
Barcelona: Coll, Batlle, Paredes, Engen, Rolfo, Bonmati, Walsh, Guijarro, Hansen, Paralluelo, Caldentey. Subs: Panos, Jana Fernandez, Pina, Torrejon, Putellas, Bronze, Vilamala, Brugts, Dragoni, Lopez, Arias, Martina Fernandez.
Chelsea: Hampton, Lawrence, Carter, Buchanan, Charles, Kaneryd, Cuthbert, Nusken, Leupolz, Ramirez, James. Subs: Musovic, Bright, Ingle, Macario, Reiten, Kirby, Perisset, Beever-Jones, Cox.
Preamble
Emma Hayes’ victory lap will not end in a quadruple but the double is still on. That’s if her Chelsea team can beat the best club side in women’s football. A glance at Barcelona’s team sheet is a who’s who of world stars – and World Cup winners. There are memories, too, of the 2021 Women’s Champions League final when Barcelona won 4-0, and were 3-0 up in 20 minutes. Beating Barca now would one of the great coups of Hayes’ glittering career. The Champions League is the one she and Chelsea are missing. If not now, then when?
Join me for a 12.30 kick-off.
