Dominant European champions Barcelona aim to keep their quadruple quest on track when they face Chelsea in the Women’s Champions League semi-final on Saturday.
Jonatan Giraldez’s side, who won the trophy for the second time last season, will host Les Bleus in the first leg at the Olympic Stadium on Montjuic Hill.
They met at the same stadium last season and Barcelona ousted Chelsea 2-1 on aggregate in a close battle, although the Catalans also crushed the English side 4-0 in the 2021 final.
With the Spanish Super Cup pocketed, a final place in the Copa de la Reina booked and a luxurious 12-point lead in Liga F, Barcelona want to carve out a lead over Chelsea before the return to Stamford Bridge next week.
Giraldez is leaving at the end of the season to take charge of the American NWSL team, Washington Spirit, and his players are hoping to see him go out with a bang.
“I’m sure the girls will want to win some trophies for him so he can leave on a really positive note,” Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh said on Wednesday.
“He’s had a huge impact here at Barca, everyone really enjoys playing for him and I hope we can get the job done.”
Chelsea coach Emma Hayes is also heading to the United States to take charge of the women’s national team.
His side’s hopes of dispatching him in style have dashed in recent weeks, with elimination from the FA Cup and defeat in the League Cup final.
“They won’t think about it and neither will we,” Walsh added.
“It’s the Champions League, so everyone comes there with a different mindset.”
With the driving forces of Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, the Catalans reached six consecutive Champions League semi-finals.
Chelsea will be without injured striker Sam Kerr, but will have a host of talented players, including Lauren James and Guro Reiten.
The Blues lead the Women’s Super League on goal difference against Manchester City after easily securing victory against Aston Villa in midweek with four games remaining in the title race.
– All-French battle –
Whoever wins between Barcelona and Chelsea will face a French opponent in the final in Bilbao at the end of May, while Lyon will face their national opponent, Paris Saint-Germain, in the other quarter-final.
Lyon, who lost in the quarter-finals on penalties to Chelsea last season, are aiming for a record ninth Champions League title.
They must be considered favorites to at least reach the final in what could well be manager Sonia Bompastor’s final season at the helm – she was heavily linked with taking over from Hayes at Chelsea at the end of the campaign.
It was a repeat of the semi-final two years ago, which Lyon won 5-3 on aggregate before lifting the trophy by beating Barcelona in Turin.
Lyon also beat PSG in the last four in 2020 and emerged victorious on penalties when the teams met in the final in 2017.
Current form also favors OL, who have beaten and drawn with the Parisians in the French championship this season, and are nine points clear at the top of the table.
Additionally, Lyon are set to receive a big boost amid reports that their former Norwegian Ballon d’Or-winning striker Ada Hegerberg is set to sign a new contract to stay at the club until next season .
PSG are a team in transition having lost key players ahead of this campaign, including French striker Kadidiatou Diani, who moved to Lyon, and Canadian Ashley Lawrence who signed for Chelsea.
They have a formidable attacking duo composed of Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Tabitha Chawinga. The latter, originally from Malawi, is France’s top scorer this season and has scored five times in the Champions League.
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