Barça has convincingly defeated Chelsea after a memorable second half and a great individual performance by Clàudia Pina. Pere Romeu's team knew how to respond to the missed penalty by Alexia in the first quarter of an hour of play, and the match was nearly perfect. Chelsea, who seemed to settle for a narrow loss, saw how FC Barcelona practically sealed the tie after the first leg.
Salma Paralluelo and Esmee Brugts were chosen to start in the two positions where there was some doubt, at the expense of Clàudia Pina and Rölfo. Meanwhile, Chelsea presented a line-up with former Barça players like Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh.
Alexia Misses, Pajor Strikes
Barça started the match knowing they are the best team in Europe and didn't take long to show it. The first part of the match was a siege by the team coached by Romeu, and Chelsea tried to take advantage of some transition.
Alexia Putellas persistently claimed a penalty inside the English team's area that the referee didn't see live and had to be supported by VAR. The same FC Barcelona captain was in charge of taking the penalty, but Hampton, Chelsea's goalkeeper, stopped it.
Despite the blow of missing such an important penalty, Alexia didn't let it get her down and ended up being decisive in the first goal of the match. Barça's number '11' threaded a precise pass to Ewa Pajor, who finished crosswise and scored the first goal of the match, giving a slight advantage before halftime.
Pina's Revolution
At the start of the second half, Barça still had control, but not as many chances were created as in the first half. It even seemed that Chelsea was stepping up and trying to threaten Cata Coll's goal. Meanwhile, Clàudia Pina was warming up, the footballer who always appears in important moments, and the crowd was cheering her.
The player from Montcada entered in the 66th minute, and just 4 minutes later, she scored Barça's second goal. Pina finished a great cross from Ona Batlle after a collective play by Barça that lasted almost a minute.
However, not everything would be joy, as Baltimore reduced the gap for Chelsea with a great shot from inside the area. The English team settled for the result, and Barça wasn't satisfied with the narrow victory and wanted more.
Pina once again showcased her quality with a perfect cross past the 80th minute for Paredes to push the ball into the net with a great header. Before the 90th minute, Barça struck again through Clàudia Pina. An epic combination with Alexia allowed the number '9' to score the fourth goal, practically sealing the tie.
FC Barcelona and Chelsea will play the return leg of the Champions League semifinals next Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at Stamford Bridge. Pere Romeu has made it clear that the team must not be overconfident for the return leg, as it will be a different match.