Four days after the resounding elimination of the men’s team from the Champions League at the hands of PSG, the women’s team also lost in Montjuïc against Chelsea (0-1). A goal from Erin Cuthbert in the first half gives the Blaugrana the first defeat of the season for an FC Barcelona that completes a week of true curse in Montjuïc. Of course, Giráldez’s team still have the opportunity to come back from the tie in a week at Stamford Bridge. The atmosphere was that of big events, with full stands and a spectacular reception for the team upon their arrival at the stadium. The objective was to get a good result at home with which to face the second leg in London with guarantees, but it was not to be. It will be time to row.
Chelsea stood in Montjuïc aware that the role of favorite was for their rival and Emma Hayes planted two defensive lines very close together, accumulating many troops to try to leave the Blaugrana without spaces. Despite everything, Giráldez’s team managed to jump over the lines with good passes behind the back or on the wings. Patri Guijarro slipped at the most inopportune moment, frustrating the shot from a great center by Salma Paralluelo in the first minutes of the game and soon after, Graham Hansen forced the English defense to reject a good shot after a through pass from Ona ??Batlle.
After the first quarter of an hour, Salma Paralluelo had the clearest shot with a shot that went over the crossbar. Chelsea practically couldn’t get out of their field while Barça continued to patiently mature the plays. A Barça much more mature than before, capable of maintaining calm despite not finding a goal that they were looking for time and time again.
On the other side, Chelsea were not shaking their legs either, ceding control of the match to the Blaugrana and, with Lauren James and Mayra Ramírez at the top, they were patiently waiting for their moment. This would come in the last quarter of an hour of the first half, when they gained prominence with several dangerous counterattacks. Mayra galloped down the left wing and left a wonderful ball in front of her for Leupolz to finish alone in front, but the German’s shot went wide of Cata Coll’s goal. He tried again, this time James, but an attentive Paredes managed to deflect the shot into a corner. And in ’39, the third time was the charm. Nüsken scrambled magnificently inside the area and left it in front for Cuthbert to finish at will. Montjuïc froze and Barça went to the locker room with the cold water of 0-1.
The second half started with controversy when Patri tried one of his ‘pebbles’ and his powerful shot from outside the area crashed into the hands of Lauren James. Frappart awarded a penalty, but the VAR urged him to review the action that would end up being annulled by a tight offside by Salma Paralluelo.
The match heated up with the Chelsea players blatantly wasting time, throwing themselves to the ground at the slightest contact in front of a crowd that loudly reproached the English players for their attitude. Barça tried to regain the rhythm of the match, but it was difficult for them to string together several plays against a Chelsea that sought to interrupt the game and slow it down as much as possible. And in a counterattack, Mayra Ramírez was on the verge of causing a scare but, fortunately for the Blaugrana, her shot went wide. The clock was ticking and the game was getting complicated for Barça, who were not comfortable. The changes introduced by Gíraldez, bringing in Alexia, Bronze and Vicky López were not the desired shock either. It was barely played in the last minutes, with constant interruptions and underground football with which Chelsea was much more comfortable. Alexia had the equalizer in her boots by finishing off a free kick, but sent her shot wide. And so, after nine sterile minutes of added time, Frappart signaled the end of the match and with it the first defeat of the season for the Blaugrana, who will have to row against the current to overcome the tie in London if they want to be in San Mamés on May 25.
