Chelsea Women vs Barcelona Women predictions and match preview for Saturday’s UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 1st Leg. Read on for analysis as the Catalans head to London.
| Date | Saturday 22nd April 2023 |
| Kick-Off | 13:30 (CEST) |
| Stadium | Stamford Bridge |
| Competition | UEFA Women’s Champions League |
Chelsea Women vs Barcelona Women Preview
Barcelona Women are in UEFA Champions League Semi-Final action this weekend. They are in London to play Chelsea with the 2nd Leg taking place next week at Camp Nou.
They warmed up for this tie in style with a convincing 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the weekend in Liga F. They could potentially win the Spanish title without playing if Real Madrid lose this weekend, but with a perfect record of 25 wins from 25 games, another domestic crown is guaranteed and all the focus now will be on trying to clinch European glory.
Barcelona’s European campaign has been impressive but they did lose in the group stage against Bayern Munich, a brief display of vulnerability from a side that has been almost flawless at home and abroad over the past few years. They’ll take confidence into this game, which will be played at Stamford Bridge, after winning a tough away 1st Leg in front of nearly 40,000 in Rome in the Quarter-Finals. Jonatan Giráldez’s side ultimately progressed 6-1 on aggregate but they’ll be expecting a tougher test in the last four.
This is a repeat of the 2021 Final where Barcelona blew Chelsea away with an exhilarating 1st Half display that saw them race into a 4-0 lead in 36 minutes. The Londoners will sense an opportunity for revenge here on home soil with a big crowd behind them and they are having a really strong campaign with the treble the target now for Emma Hayes’ side.
Chelsea are only a point behind Manchester United at the top of the Women’s Super League in England but with a game in hand, are well placed to go on and win the league. They are also in the FA Cup Final after winning a hard-fought Semi-Final against Aston Villa at the weekend while they claimed a dramatic win over defending champions Lyon in the last round of this competition.
Having won the 1st Leg in France 1-0, Chelsea were on the brink of a 2-1 aggregate exit before Maren Mjelde converted a penalty eight minutes into Stoppage Time of the Second Half of Extra Time. They subsequently won the shootout to set up this huge Semi-Final showdown.
Score Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona
Barcelona have made light work of many of their opponents this season, but this won’t be easy against one of the continent’s strongest female sides. Chelsea are in good form with 7 wins from their last 8 in all competitions and they are capable of getting a result in this 1st Leg, but it’s a tie the Catalans will still expect to progress from.
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