Erin Cuthbert’s fine strike earned Chelsea an impressive 1-0 win at champion Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League semi-final first leg on Saturday, while Lyon staged a remarkable fightback to defeat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2.
Chelsea defended brilliantly at the Olympic Stadium to beat a Barcelona side aiming to win the trophy for the third time in four seasons.
Jonatan Giraldez’s side, who hammered Chelsea in the 2021 final and shaded a tight battle in last season’s semis against the Blues, were left frustrated in their first home defeat in over five years.
Emma Hayes is hoping to crown the end of her time with Chelsea before taking over the U.S. women’s national team, with her first Champions League triumph as a coach.
After defeats in the FA Cup and the League Cup final, Chelsea’s bid for a quadruple has crumbled in the last few weeks, while Barcelona’s is alive but dented by Cuthbert’s fine goal.
“We know Barcelona are the best team in Europe and everything has to be perfect for you to get close to winning a game of football,” Hayes told reporters. “We took our chance and did a lot to limit their chances. You can only do that together, not individually, and the team as a whole did that today.”
Hayes’ game plan worked to perfection as Chelsea reduced a usually dominant Barcelona to remarkably few chances while threatening occasionally on the counterattack. Having never beaten the Catalans before, the Blues set up with three center-backs and plenty of grit.
They soaked up Barcelona pressure without letting the two-time winners work many dangerous openings.
‘Minor details.’ Salma Paralluelo had a sight of goal but her shot was deflected over, while Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati was kept under control.
Chelsea shocked the hosts by capitalizing on the first real attacking move they managed to string together five minutes before half-time.
Sjoeke Nusken manouvered well in the box, turning and finding Cuthbert, who worked some space before arcing a shot beyond Cata Coll.
Barcelona came back out strongly and thought they had earned a penalty when Kadeisha Buchanan handled Patri Guijarro’s shot.
Referee Stephanie Frappart was summoned to watch a VAR replay and controversially determined the offside Paralluelo was interfering with play, just behind Buchanan.
Barcelona, in the semi-finals for six consecutive seasons, summoned two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas from the bench to try and break down Chelsea’s defense.
Mayra Ramirez appealed for a penalty at the other end as she went down under a challenge from Irene Paredes and then blazed a fine chance for Chelsea’s second over the bar.
Paralluelo volleyed wide with five minutes remaining as Chelsea held firm under increasing pressure.
Putellas should have leveled with virtually the last kick of the match but fired wide from close range with the goal gaping after a free-kick was nodded down to her in the box.
Barcelona fans tried to rouse their team for the second leg at Stamford Bridge on April 27 by chanting “Yes we can” at full-time.
“It’s Barcelona, they are the champions — they will be angry,” said Hayes, anticipating a strong response from Giraldez’s side.
The Barca coach, also heading to the United States at the end of the season to take over the Washington Spirit, said his team would keep their nerve.
“We’re calm, we still have 90 minutes ahead,” said Giraldez. “A draw would have been perhaps fair — there were few chances and in football when things are balanced, minor details make a difference.”
Lyon produced an astonishing comeback as they recovered from two goals down to win at home to French rival PSG in the second semi-final.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto’s brace either side of halftime put PSG in full control, but Lyon struck three times in the final 10 minutes to snap their opponents’ long unbeaten run.
Kadidiatou Diani scored against her former club before Melchie Dumornay fired Lyon level on 85 minutes, with Amel Majri coming off the bench to hit the winner.
Lyon is the competition’s record eight-time champion, while PSG finished second in 2015 and 2017.
rbs-mw/iwd
© Agence France-Presse
Always interested in seeing how a Team/Coach manages to Beat Tiki-Taka/Farça(España)… Especially on their Home Soil(Though Estadio Montjuic doesn’t really compare to Nou Camp) … Throw in the Fact it was done by Future USA Coach Emma, and this will Require a “Deep Dive” to see how she did it…
Congrats Emma.!!!
Santi, might this be a preview of the style the USWNT plays in the Olympics? What’s the data on which style wins more? Long, long ago when I got my coaching license, the main data point discussed was that the team that wins the majority of the 1v1 battles wins over 60% of the matches.
I think that looking at that metric out of context may be misleading. As a flank player my objective was to not just win a majority of my 1v1 battles, but to dominate my opponent to take him out of the game.
I think of winning the 1v1 battles as a continuous 1v1 war rather than plays in isolation. There is a critical mass that tips control of the match to a team. If 5 of the field players dominate their opponents, that allows those 5 to influence a larger area, reducing the pressure on the other 5 field players.
The conventional practice of placing the strongest players down the spine of the team is similar thinking.
Good points. Dominate an area of the field.? Hmm. I’ll have to think about that one. Never considered it. I loved watching Barca in the old days, when they’d pass around everyone but when someone like Xavi or Iniesta got into a troubling situation, they’d win and never lose 1v1. I guess an opponent would not really know what to do at that point. Can’t win no matter what.
That is the TOTAL Commitment to Tiki-Taka that I am Talking about…
Iniesta and Especially XAVI could just WILL the Team to Stay “On Task” and Pummel you into Bleeding to Death via A THOUSAND Paper Cuts(Short Passes)
Humm.??? USA Playing a 5-3-1-1.??? (Which is What Chelsea Played.)
I’m still doing the Deep Dive… but,,, Just from 1st Watching of Game…
FULL Commitment to Defense…
Didn’t even Care much if they Kicked the Ball Down the field to No-One. (Looked Like a H.S. Team sometimes, just Booting the Ball 50 yards)
I’m all for Winning… But, Why do we have to wait 9 Months to get a Coach that is Willing to Adapt the Tactics to the Opponent and OUR Talent.???
Any Coach could do what Emma has done here… REALISTIC Job of Setting the Team up in a BUNKER and Hoping for a Counter-Goal…
If USSF/Players will let her do this… We could WIN, No Question…
How come Vlatko didn’t try this.???
Was he Too Dumb, Was he Not aware of a 5-3-1-1.??? … I think the Constraints placed on him by USSF and The Players “Union” Tied his hands.
Only 25 minutes IN,,, But one thing is Clear…
USA is NOT Going to AND/or SHOULD NOT be letting GK Naeher Dribble and Handle the Ball as much as Chelsea GK Does…
So, this is going to be a Limiting Factor on how Emma sets her Defense up against Espana. OR; We have to Find a GK with Foot Skills.!?!?!?
Another Thing that Jumps Out…
Farca, didn’t Make Full Commitment to Tiki-Taka.
Didn’t really try to Draw Chelsea Side-to-Side, Inside Pocket Passes to Bonmati didn’t Happen enough…
Still doing the Deep Dive to see if this was caused by Chelsea Tactics or Farca “Impatience”
I didn’t watch, but I would translate 5311 as a 352. One striker playing above the other. That transitions well to interlocking diamonds by the 4 flank players moving higher.
When I think of 352, I think of Argentina. I, however, don’t know if Argentine soccer is still wedded to that system.
Your Pretty much Correct, Bob… as #10-James,
Played as “Low-Forward” mostly,
While Ramirez played as the “Hi-Forward”
What is surprising to me, is the Imbalance this should have given to Farca…
Just a guess, but I suspect that Chelsea out coached Farca with a new look.
Remember the 361 idea of making it very difficult to pickup the runners coming out of the midfield. Essentially the concept is a “withdrawn” 7 and 11, like a withdrawn 9. Except I don’t remember anyone actually using a 361, just talking about it.
I suspect it was a one-off trick.
I found it commendable when Berhalter began his reign by having our men’s team try to bring the ball out of the back, but kind of silly to continue doing so when it was apparent they couldn’t do it. (Player development) Now our women are struggling to play a possession style against the better nations, so adaptation seems necessary in order to win a medal. Maybe Ms. Hayes can make it happen.
Just Win Baby, WIN.!!! (I’m Rubbing Off on all of you… 😜😂)
Keeper distribution as a game plan “left the building” in 1992. Good soccer penetrated by combination soccer long before that. Making horizontal passes to “build out of the back” is bad soccer. Short through passes or longer passes to the weak side are what you want. Keeper distributions should be diagonal balls to players in the gaps, not to backs still in the back line. Tactical speed is the key to make the plays before the defense can recover their balance. Proper facing makes play faster.
Everything in USSF conventional wisdom is wrong. And Berhalter sticks to what USSF teaches as doctrine in its coaching materials.
Good tactics based on good positioning and facing would improve the team’s play even with no improvement in balls skills. Poor skills AND poor tactics earn a double penalty to play.
Second sentence should read “combination passing” vice “combination soccer”. Sorry.
Bob; Very Interesting that you say this:
“horizontal passes to “build out of the back” is bad soccer.”
One of the things that Really Hampered the Farca Tiki-Taka in this game was, the way they were almost Always playing SQUARE and to the Right in this Game…
All 4 of their Defenders are Right Footed, and so they Tended to always play to their Right..
Emma had clearly Scouted this… as she Sprang a “Trap” every time the ball went out to the #22 Right fullback for Farca… Forcing Turnovers in the defensive third or more Back Passing to the GK…
Farca could not get a Rhythm going out of the Back.
As a matter of Fact; The goal was because #22 Passed the Ball Out of Bounds and after the Chelsea Throw-In and a Series of Deflections and Rebounds, Chelsea Player Lawrence ended up with the Ball and with a Nice Turn, she Slipped the Ball inside to Cuthbert, who made a One Touch Pass to #8, who Stepped on the Ball, Turned, Pivoted and Slipped it back to Cuthbert, who Juked a Defender Laterally, Created a Shooting Window, next to that Defenders Foot and Bent it around her from the 16. All brought about by a Good Game Plan of Trapping against #22… minute 38:34… Nothing Earth Shaking, but Good None-the-Less. Certainly a Tactic that ANY Good Coach will Enforce and Employ… Is this something we had to Wait 9 Months for.???