Barcelona overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit to reach the Women’s Champions League final at the expense of Chelsea.
A club-record crowd watched on as Emma Hayes’ final game at Stamford Bridge ended in agonising defeat, with the ten-player Blues falling to the reigning champions.
Barca will look to retain their crown against either Paris Saint-Germain or Olympique Lyonnais in next month’s final in Bilbao.
How the game unfolded
Hannah Hampton was brought into her first save of the evening when Chelsea failed to deal with a Barcelona corner and Caroline Graham Hansen was able to let fly from just inside the box, with the England goalkeeper getting down low to deny her at the near post.
Midway through the first half, Barcelona levelled the tie on aggregate. Patri Guijarro threaded a pass through to Aitana Bonmati, who shifted away from Niamh Charles and picked out the bottom corner via a deflection off the legs of Kadeisha Buchanan.
Barcelona nearly went ahead in the tie when Bonmati’s back-heel found Graham Hansen running down the wing, and Erin Cuthbert had to be alert to stop the ball reaching Salma Paralluelo who was waiting to tap home.
The hosts should have found the net themselves when Lauren James’ low cross rolled into the path of Melanie Leupolz, whose effort from six yards clanked off the top of the crossbar. Though the offside flag was raised, replays suggested James may have been onside when picked out by Catarina Macario.
Cata Coll produced a fine stretching save to keep out a half-volley from Macario moments later as Chelsea sought to retake the lead.
Another Chelsea chance went begging when Irene Paredes’ back pass was woefully under-hit and intercepted by Sjoeke Nusken, but her pull-back just evaded James and Barca got away with one.
After the break, Nusken rattled the post after a sweeping Chelsea move. James pirouetted her way through midfield and switched play for Ashley Lawrence, and her cross was met by Nusken, only for her effort to trickle wide via the upright.
Just as Chelsea seemed to be ramping the pressure back up again, they were reduced to ten players after Buchanan picked up her second booking for a challenge on the top of Guijarro’s foot where she appeared to take the ball first. As this was a second yellow card and not a straight red, the decision couldn’t be reviewed by VAR.
Salma Paralluelo headed just over shortly after Buchanan’s dismissal and Ona Batlle brought a low save out of Hampton, while Johanna Rytting Kaneryd tested Coll…
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