Barça said goodbye to the Camp Nou with a qualification for their fourth Champions League final –the third in a row-. They did not get the victory against Chelsea (1-1) but they made use of Graham Hansen’s goal in the first leg to secure the ticket to Eindhoven. A golden brooch for a party that could not be rounded off with the return of the long-awaited Alexia Putellas. The tight scoreline prevented the captain from saying goodbye to the Blaugrana temple after almost ten months in dry dock due to a knee injury.
Chelsea jumped to the Camp Nou with a clear script: let time run and get to the end alive. And it worked for him, in part, because he managed to reach the break without having conceded any goal, despite the blaugrana monopoly. Jonatan Giráldez’s men went ahead at the hour of play thanks to a goal from Graham Hansen, but they did not know how to close the game and unnecessarily complicated the game, awarding Reiten the equalizer. A long-suffering ending that deprived the blaugrana fans of seeing the return of their captain.
Giráldez showed he had learned from the mistakes at Stamford Bridge. He did not let himself be infected by that more direct football that Chelsea dragged him into in the first leg and patiently matured each play. Mariona’s entry in the place of Salma Paralluelo helped this. He also accumulates more players on that left flank and leaves the right lane for the magic of a Graham Hansen who never stops shining. It took the Norwegian eight minutes to see the goal and although the goal would be disallowed by hands in control, it unleashed the roar of a Camp Nou delivered once again to theirs. The Blaugrana winger kept trying, again one of the best on the green, but the goal did not come. Nor Oshoala, a reference in attack to the detriment of the sacrificed Geyse. Despite the lack of aim, Barça’s monopoly was complete, in possession, chances and also in defense, with a tight marking of Chelsea’s top gunner, a Sam Kerr completely nullified in attack. Mapi and Paredes stuck to the Australian, who hardly touched any ball in the first half.
The minutes passed and the more the clock ran, the more a Chelsea grew that saw how its game script was fulfilled. Barça couldn’t play with fire if they didn’t want to end up burning against an opponent who needed very little to create danger. Fortunately, Caroline Graham Hansen came to the rescue. Aitana Bonmatà started a quick counterattack and opened up the right wing so that the Norwegian could finish off on goal. Carter got to touch the ball, but not enough to prevent the goal that unleashed the madness in the Blaugrana temple. A madness that was transitory. Only five minutes later, after a series of fatal errors by the Catalans, Guro Reiten equalized the game. A move originated in a turnover in the center of the field, followed with a ball behind the back of an unlucky Torrejón, who Kerr easily won behind, and ended with a bad rebound from Sandra Paños direct to the boots of a Reiten who entered from behind and did not hesitate to pierce the goal of the Alicante.
Barça unnecessarily complicated the game and Chelsea, much more used to knowing how to suffer, tried to take advantage of it. The Londoners lived their most electric minutes, especially with the entry of Harder and James. Emma Hayes put all the artillery on the table, but she wasn’t even enough and Barça is already the first finalist. On Monday (6:45 p.m.) they will meet their rival on June 3 at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven: Arsenal or Wolfsburg (2-2 in the first leg).
