He Barcelona aspires this Saturday to qualify for its fifth final – the fourth in a row – of the Women’s Champions Leaguea tall challenge because he will have to overcome the 0-1 scoreline at Stamford Bridge that Chelsea harvested in the first leg played at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium with Mayra Ramirez in the starting eleven. A goal from Erin Cuthbert in the 40th minute complicated the tie for the Jonatan Giraldezwho played a gray game against a rival who, with their weapons, offensively annulled the European champion and footballers like Aitana Bonmatí, Graham Hansen or Salma ParallueloBarça needs to come back if they want to be in San Mamés (Bilbao), venue of the final on May 25. However, a narrow victory is a feasible result for Giráldez’s team, who earned enough merit to draw in the first leg.
See also: Colombia continues at a steady pace in the Women’s U-20: agonizing victory over Venezuela However, the field factor clearly plays in favor of the English team. In Montjuïc, the players Emma Hayes They were the first team to win, after more than five years, against Barcelona at home, and they also became the first rival that the Catalan team can’t score a goal at home since 2018. Although the precedents between both teams continue to smile on Barça – a draw, two victories and a defeat -, the Barça players know that this Saturday’s event is, so far, the most important match of the season, and that The future of this will mark the possibility of achieving the objective they set at the beginning of the season: the first poker section titlesIn this sense, the remaining titles (the Queen’s Cup and the F League) They are on track, unlike Hayes’ team, which is only still alive in Europe and in the domestic competition, where it is second by three points – and with one game less – than the Manchester City.The contexts for both teams are different, but the requirement is the same. The Barca wants to play his fifth final and Chelsea return to one since they lost the first and only match against the Catalans in 2021 (0-4). The preparation for the match by both teams has also had different conditions. While the Londoners have had a clean week, the Catalans They played a league match this Wednesday against Levante Las Planas (2-4), a somewhat closer victory than usual in which Giráldez did not start any of the starting players in the first leg of the semifinals.
You may be interested in: Mayra generated doubts for the ‘semi’ of the Champions: the truth was known. However, Giráldez will be able to count on all the available first team players, except for the defense Mapi Leon, who despite traveling to London with the team is still in the final stretch of his recovery. In addition, the coach will also have the usual players from the reserve team, the midfielder Vicky Lopez and the central Martina Fernandez.In the Hayes case, the defense Millie Bright It is available again, but the front ones are still out Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel and the defenses Aniek Nouwen and Maren Mjelde.Mayra Ramírez and Lauren James They already showed in the first leg that they can make up for the Londoners’ offensive losses, and Jess Carter He did the same on the first line.
