The last time Chelsea played Barcelona, the game was over before it began. The historic occasion of the club’s first Women’s Champions League final ended in a humbling 4-0 defeat, which, given that Barcelona scored all four goals inside 36 minutes, left the feeling that the Blues avoided what would have been a far more embarrassing night. It did, though, underline the gulf between the best side in England and the best side in Europe. Now almost two years on from that night in Gothenburg, Chelsea are not the only English club who have the chance to prove that the gap has closed.
For the first time in the tournament’s history, England have two teams in the semi-finals. Chelsea’s rematch with Barcelona comes as Arsenal take on Wolfsburg, with the Gunners similarly fueled by the motivation of a recent defeat and last season’s quarter-final exit to the German side. By the end, England could have a first club in a Champions League final since Chelsea’s horror night two years ago. There could even be two, which would guarantee that an English club will win the Women’s Champions League for the first time since Arsenal’s only title in 2007.
