A defeat by Barcelona once more in the Champions League will, in the immediate aftermath, feel like a blow for Chelsea and their fans. However, a gritty performance and 1-0 loss at the hands of the team so many consider the best in Europe should fill Chelsea with plenty of encouragement for the second leg at the Camp Nou on Thursday.
It is well known that this is the one title Emma Hayes and her team desperately desire, the final missing piece in their trophy cabinet. They have come close: losing 4-0 to Barcelona in the 2021 final, and the heartbreak of that day lives long in the memory.
Those feelings will have felt even keener when Caroline Graham Hansen strode forward in the fourth minute to unleash a sumptuous finish past Ann-Katrin Berger. A sense of deja-vu to that final when the Blues conceded in the first minute and then fell apart.
This time, that disintegration did not happen on Saturday as the English champions regrouped and defended resolutely despite intense pressure from the visitors. That is why it will be crucial for Hayes to emphasise the positives of their performance. Whether it be the undeniable progression of individual players, such as Jess Carter or Niamh Charles, or the resilience of the back-three, makeshift in its nature due to injuries to Kadeisha Buchanan and Millie Bright, there will be plenty to draw on over the next few days.
It has been more than 700 days since that final and Chelsea have been amassing a squad to take on the challenge and finally bring the trophy back to London. The development of this side, one Hayes has named the “best squad she’s ever had” was clear to see.
Carter is the epitome of this improvement. Two years ago, the young England defender had a torrid time at that final in Gothenburg with a performance that caused many onlookers to call her attributes into question.
Thrown into the backline that day at just 23 years old, she struggled with Barcelona’s pace, beaten time and again by a ruthless attack. She has, however, turned her fortunes around and put in a standout display this time around, arguably one of Chelsea’s best players. Her strength and ability to snuff out dangerous situations have been evident all season and she dealt with almost everything that came her way; faced with Graham Hansen and Lucy Bronze as they marauded up the right flank.
Another aspect of Chelsea’s progression this season has been their ability to deal with adversity. Injury problems have loomed over them with the two mainstays of their defence in Bright and Buchanan missing, and long-term absentees in the form of Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder.
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With Barcelona coming to town, their defensive issues will have been of particular concern. The captain Magdalena Eriksson has spent a good portion of this year on the bench as she struggles to rediscover the form of last season. The same can be said of Maren Mjelde who has found her game-time limited since returning from injury, playing a sideline role until that dramatic late penalty against Lyon.
But what they lack in time on the grass, they more than make up for with experience having been stalwarts of the side for many years. It may have seemed a slightly unnatural pairing when they took to the field in the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa last week, but their combined defensive nous is evident. They may not be blessed with the speed they once had but remained alert, putting in recovery runs and tackles that would have reminded fans of when they first arrived at the club.
Chelsea will need to call on all this again in five days’ time. A raucous Camp Nou will present a different prospect to Stamford Bridge with more than 50,000 fans expected. Barcelona remain the favourites to progress but Hayes and her side will be confident that they have it in them to carry on this journey to Eindhoven in June.
