EMMA HAYES' DREAM OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GLORY WITH CHELSEA OVER AFTER BARCELONA DEFEAT
Barcelona shattered Emma Hayes' dream of securing a Women's Champions League title with Chelsea.
Barcelona managed to overturn a first-leg deficit, winning 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and advancing to the final. Fridolina Rolfo scored from the penalty spot with just 15 minutes left on the clock, sealing a 2-1 aggregate victory for the defending champions. This came after Chelsea had been reduced to 10 players following Kadeisha Buchanan's dismissal.
Before the Chelsea defender was shown the red card, Barca had already equalised the tie thanks to a superb goal from Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati. Buchanan was sent off after she landed her foot on Patri Guijarro's ankle while reaching for a loose ball in the centre circle, leading referee Iuliana Demetrescu to show her a second yellow card without hesitation.
In what is Hayes' last season as manager at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea fought valiantly to give their departing boss a chance to leave on a high note in next month's final in Bilbao. However, despite Barca being pinned back in their own half, time ran out for the home side who were eliminated in the semi-finals for the second consecutive season.
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The match began quietly, with the first 20 minutes passing almost without incident. It wasn't until Hannah Hampton was finally called into action, diving low to collect Caroline Graham Hansen's weak right-foot volley from the edge of the box.
The match was in need of a moment of brilliance or luck to break the deadlock, and it got both at the 25-minute mark. The ball found its way to Bonmati, who with a smart step-over tricked Niamh Charles before firing a shot that ricocheted off Buchanan's extended leg and past Hampton to equalise.
Barcelona had hit their stride but Chelsea nearly responded instantly. Catarina Macario threaded a pass through the left channel to Lauren James, who cut the ball back from the byline for an unmarked Melanie Leupolz. Six yards out and with the goal at her mercy, she drew back her left foot and sent a shot crashing against the crossbar.
Macario was next to threaten, plucking the ball out of the air and shooting brilliantly from 20 yards, only to be denied by a superb low save from Cata Coll. A golden opportunity to level the score came just before the hour mark. James delivered a long ball into the left channel where Ashley Lawrence was arriving.
She cut it back for Nusken, whose sliding shot skidded off the wet surface and spun agonisingly against the post. Chelsea's hopes were hanging by a thread moments later with the sending off of Buchanan.
Then came the penalty decision, Jess Carter nudged Bonmati in the back who then fell over Lawrence. VAR checked and found no issue with the decision, and Rolfo stepped up to send Hampton the wrong way.
Captain Millie Bright made her first appearance since November, playing the last 10 minutes as an emergency centre-forward. However, it wasn't meant to be for Hayes, who will leave Chelsea next month without securing the European crown for her team.
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2024-04-27T19:02:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd