The evening at London units the stage, but it surely’s removed from routine when the continent’s elite collide. For Chelsea Ladies, the encounter on the Bridge towards Barcelona carries the heavy echo of European heartbreak.
Barça arrive having swept their opening fixtures and carrying the air of favourites. The Blues, in the meantime, should steadiness ambition with warning: a slip right here and the highway to the latter phases turns into markedly steeper.
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Date / Time: November 20, 2025, 20.00 BST; 3pm ETVenue: Stamford Bridge, SW6Referee: Tess Olofsson (on pitch); Katrin Rafalski (VAR)Forecast: Cloudy with a breeze
On TV: BBC Two (UK); ESPN Deportes (US); Streaming: BBC iPlayer, Disney+ (UK); ESPN+, Paramount+, fuboTV (US)
Chelsea staff information: It’s very troublesome to not be all “doom and gloom” about this impeding match. The staff should not in place although they’re unbeaten, and so they look even worse than they have been once we final confronted Barça and have been overwhelmed at dwelling 4-1 within the second leg of the Champions League semifinal final season.
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Sam Kerr, who didn’t even make the bench towards Liverpool in our 1-1 draw final weekend, gained’t be match to play towards Barcelona however will be part of the Australian nationwide staff within the upcoming worldwide break. Lauren James, who gained’t be part of the English nationwide staff within the upcoming worldwide break, is match to start out towards the Catalan juggernauts.
Barcelona staff information: This summer season the Blaugrana confronted what’s been described as a “calamitous” window. Since they have been constrained by financial-fair-play guidelines, they managed only one senior signing — defender Laia Aleixandri arriving on a free from Manchester Metropolis — whereas off-loading a number of first-team gamers together with Ingrid Syrstad Engen, Fridolina Rolfö and Ellie Roebuck in a bid to trim the wage invoice. They’re nonetheless the staff to beat in Europe, having simply overwhelmed Actual Madrid 4-0 in Liga F Moeve.
On the harm entrance, star ahead Ewa Pajor stays sidelined with a knee subject, whereas winger Kika Nazareth can be out after selecting up an ankle sprain. Barcelona are additional depleted by the absence of ahead Salma Paralluelo, who continues to get well from a muscle downside; and midfielder Patri Guijarro, who stays unavailable with a foot harm that has saved her out of current fixtures.
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Beforehand: In eight encounters between the 2 sides Chelsea have overwhelmed Barcelona as soon as. All due to Erin Cuthbert’s lone purpose and a extraordinarily properly executed sport plan at Estadi Johan Cruyff one-and-a-half 12 months in the past.