and can nonetheless attain the ultimate, so long as they study the teachings from their semi-final first-leg defeats, in line with former England worldwide Anita Asante.
Each groups misplaced the primary leg of their semi-finals, with Chelsea and Arsenal losingat the Emirates.
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Asante, who performed for each Arsenal and Chelsea throughout her profession, doesn’t rule out a comeback in both tie however defined that the Blues might want to play with extra management and present “bravery” at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
“They cannot begin as gradual as they did within the first leg,” Asanta stated. “They’ve to start the sport with power and depth and never permit Barcelona to get into their passing rhythm.
“I believe a greater coordinated understanding of the place they need to set their traps by way of their urgent recreation goes to be actually vital. On restarts, when the goalkeeper had the ball, for instance, they might have been extra aggressive in these moments.
Asante additionally believes a shift in mindset can be needed from ’s aspect towards Barcelona if Chelsea are to maintain their hopes of profitable a primary Girls’s Champions League alive.
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Barcelona have knocked Chelsea out on the semi-final stage within the final two seasons earlier than occurring to win the Champions League and so they additionally defeated the Blues within the 2021 ultimate.
“I believe it was extra psychological, from the Chelsea gamers,” Asante stated. “The Barca gamers have skilled being in finals, profitable finals. The Chelsea gamers who’ve performed Barca earlier than, have the form of hangover of defeat to them.
“They must recover from that mentality of, ‘we have been right here earlier than, we have performed them, we have misplaced’, and have to exit with a bit extra bravery.”
Asante stated Chelsea should present extra ‘bravery’ (Getty Photos)
Asante additionally echoed Bompastor’s sentiment that, following their 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Wednesday night time, Chelsea must be extra “ruthless” going ahead if they’re to overturn a 4-1 first-leg defeat.
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Talking on her different former group Arsenal, with whom she received the Girls’s Champions League with in 2007, Asante was optimistic in regards to the the Gunners’ possibilities within the second leg of their semi-final towards Lyon based mostly on the aspect’s efficiency on Sunday and former success.
After the 2-1 defeat the Emirates, Arsenal supervisor Renee Slegers mirrored on the optimistic psychological affect of the Gunners’ 5-1 victory over Lyon within the group phases of the competitors in 2022, including it was vital that they had “executed it earlier than”.
Asante was inspired by Arsenal’s efficiency within the first leg and famous the actual areas upon which the aspect have to focus in France.
(Getty Photos)
“If you happen to take a look at all of the metrics, by way of the possession stats, the ultimate third entries, the probabilities created, from that psychological perspective, they know they’re doing the precise issues, and so they’ve executed a very good recreation plan,” Asante defined.
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“The issue now’s going to the fortress of Lyon the place they have not misplaced any video games this season at house domestically and to attempt to overturn that, however they’ve they know they’ve crushed Lyon earlier than as effectively in earlier campaigns.
“I believe they’ve a very good probability. The ruthlessness is what they have been lacking, the clinicalness within the ultimate third and stopping Lyon’s extremely fast transitions in counter-attacking play, then they’ve an excellent alternative to progress.’”
Chelsea will face Barcelona at house at Stamford Bridge at 14:00 BST on Sunday whereas Arsenal will face Lyon away on the Groupama Stadium at 17:00 UK time.
Anita Asante was talking as a part of the promotion of UEFA’s marketing campaign Queenzine. She might be showing in London tomorrow on Friday 25 April 2025 at a pop-up news-stand handy out copies of Queenzine. The stand might be reside between 10:00 and 16:00 at 12 St Giles Sq., London WC2H 8AP. Anita might be there between 11:30 and 13:30.