The financial issues still remain for Barcelona, but they're back to their brilliant best on the pitch as LaLiga, Copa del Rey and Champions League are all still within reach.

The Brazilian is having the best season of his career and is shaping up to be a Ballon d'Or contender  Leer

Chelsea trail WCL holders 4-1 after first leg of semi-final Sonia Bompastor: ‘We need to believe it’s possible’ Lucy Bronze delivered a rousing post-match speech on the pitch at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, urging her Chelsea teammates to believe they can overturn a 4-1 Champions League semi-final deficit against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The Chelsea head coach, Sonia Bompastor, revealed the gist of Bronze’s motivational plea after the heavy loss to the defending European champions. Bronze, who has won the European club title five times – more than any other English footballer, male or female, and equalled only by Gareth Bale among British footballers – pointed and gesticulated passionately as she spoke to the rest of the Chelsea team shortly after the final whistle. Continue reading...

Chelsea change under the spotlight, twins have Manchester City seeing double and Holland shines for Liverpool Were Chelsea wrong to make a substitution while preparing to defend a corner? The former England midfielder Fara Williams criticised Chelsea for doing so in the 81st minute, when Nathalie Björn was replaced by Naomi Girma seconds before Barcelona scored their third goal, a far-post header from an unmarked Irene Paredes, with Williams telling TNT Sports, “You can see that there is a bit of confusion” in Chelsea’s organisation for the set piece. Sonia Bompastor said she had been forced to withdraw Björn because of an injury, and played down the incident. “I don’t think the substitution had an impact on the goal we conceded,” the head coach said. “When I talk about not making mistakes, maybe we didn’t have to concede that corner. If you have a better clearance from the goal and don’t concede that corner, you don’t give Barcelona the opportunity to score. I don’t think the substitution had an effect on the goal. I think Naomi [Girma] knew exactly where she had to go and I think everyone knew their role in that.” The header was the first of two late strikes for Barcelona in Sunday’s first leg which put the tie in a much more challenging position for Chelsea before Sunday’s return at Stamford Bridge. Tom Garry Continue reading...

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Real Madrid's Federico Valverde netted a superb late volley to secure a 1-0 home win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday that keeps them within four points of LaLiga leaders Barcelona.

Chelsea will need to produce the best performance in their 33-year history to overturn a 4-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Women's Champions League.

It was not how the script was meant to go for the Blues in their quest for an elusive Champions League trophy As the final whistle blew at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, the frustration on the faces of the Chelsea players shone through. Lucy Bronze chucked her headband on to the floor in anger; Erin Cuthbert shared frustrated words with the referee; the rest meanwhile just stood on the pitch looking stunned with the cacophony of noise from jubilant Barcelona fans rubbing salt in the freshest of wounds. This was not how the script was meant to go. Defeat at the hands of Barcelona – with such a gulf in quality on the field – was meant to be a thing of years gone by; a distant memory buried in the history books of that painful final of 2021. For Chelsea have been building a squad with the clear intention of lifting the coveted Champions League trophy themselves. Big money has been spent on coveted assets – the acquisition of Mayra Ramírez and Naomi Girma both breaking transfer records; Bronze and Keira Walsh brought in from the Spanish champions themselves – and the arrival of Sonia Bompastor to replace Emma Hayes at the helm, an individual who has won this competition twice as a player and once as a manager. Continue reading...

Holders Barcelona put themselves in the driving seat with a resounding 4-1 over Chelsea in the first leg of their women's Champions League semifinal on Sunday, with substitute Claudia Pina netting twice.

Barcelona hold a commanding position in their Women’s Champions League semi-final against Chelsea ahead of next Sunday’s second leg at Stamford Bridge after demonstrating their quality in an emphatic 4-1 first-leg victory. Chelsea are bidding to reach the European final for only the second time and could still win a quadruple of major trophies this term in Sonia Bompastor’s first season in charge, but they will now require an unlikely-looking comeback and the performance of their lives if they are to have any chance of overturning this deficit in London. Continue reading...

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