After overturning a 2-0 first-leg defeat in opposition to Manchester Metropolis, it’s no shock that ’s gamers had been stuffed with the idea that this may very well be their yr. Even with Barcelona to return subsequent, for the third yr in a row within the semi-finals, has raised Chelsea’s confidence to a different stage. “Carry it on,” stated captain .
Barcelona are the explanation the Champions League was. A thrashing within the 2021 last was adopted by two a lot nearer defeats over two legs in 2023 and 2024, with Barcelona happening to raise the trophy on each events. The holders shall be favourites to progress once more and attain the Lisbon last however Bompastor brings a distinct edge to the newest assembly of their rivalry.
The French coach received the Champions League as a participant and supervisor with Lyon and defeated Barcelona within the 2022 last. Bompastor had watched bits of Barcelona’s ruthless thrashing of Wolfsburg within the earlier quarter-final, earlier than her gamers produced their greatest efficiency of the season to blow Metropolis away at Stamford Bridge, however she didn’t speak down Chelsea’s possibilities
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“In soccer all the things is feasible. I’ll carry all the boldness we are going to want [to beat Barcelona] in these two video games,” Bompastor stated. “However to begin with we wish to get pleasure from tonight as a result of it was not simple.”
It was virtually as if struggling their first defeat beneath Bompastor within the first leg in Manchester provoked Chelsea into producing their most full efficiency of the season within the return leg. If Chelsea haven’t all the time wanted to be in high gear given their dominance within the Girls’s Tremendous League – the place they’ve received 15 of their 17 video games, drawing the opposite two – discovering themselves 2-0 down within the tie required Bompastor’s gamers to be on it from the beginning.
“We wanted to start out the sport like that,” stated Lauren James. “Metropolis are a very good staff, they’ve superb people which can be tight on the ball, so we couldn’t give them time.” Led by James, however supported by Erin Cuthbert and Wieke Kaptein in midfield and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd on the opposite wing, Chelsea ran and ran.
The transformation of the England winger right into a tireless employee off the ball – which – is an instance of how Bompastor has elevated the work left by Hayes. May this yr’s semi-finals provide an extra illustration? Beneath Hayes, Chelsea may frustrate Barcelona with their form off the ball however there could be factors the place they turned a bit too passive. Bompastor has Chelsea taking part in with depth.
Bompastor has raised requirements and elevated Chelsea’s work off the ball (Getty Photos)
Urgent Barcelona, and their skillful, technical midfielders like Aitana Bonmati, requires braveness however Chelsea had been already getting nearer beneath Hayes. In final yr’s semi-final, it took the, in a call Hayes known as the “worst in Girls’s Champions League historical past”, for Barcelona to lastly take management of the season leg at Stamford Bridge.
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Chelsea shall be cautious of Barcelona’s historical past on this competitors, however their very own aura beneath Bompastor is rising by the week and coming from behind within the method they did in opposition to Metropolis strengthens their resolve. Even after the first-leg defeat in Manchester, Bompastor was satisfied that Chelsea may flip it round. “We had been by no means unsure,” Vivid stated.
Chelsea’s relentlessness this season additionally signifies that the Girls’s Tremendous League could have been all however wrapped up by the point they face Barcelona – the leaders can transfer to the brink of a sixth successive title with victory over West Ham to keep up an eight-point hole on Sunday, with 4 fixtures remaining after that. In Chelsea’s earlier battles with the Spanish aspect, the April semi-finals have arrived because the WSL title race was within the steadiness.
That, and the boldness introduced by a Champions League winner in Bompastor, could show the distinction as Chelsea and Barcelona meet once more.