UEFA Women’s Champions League: Chelsea set for their toughest test yet as they bid for the quadruple

UEFA Women’s Champions League: Chelsea’s biggest challenge yet

There are a handful of reasons why the Blues’ upcoming semi-final will be among their biggest tasks to date as a club. Not only does it present yet another hurdle for them to overcome as they hunt down a quadruple, but they will have to do so against long-time rivals.

The first leg on Sunday (20 April) marks the third consecutive season that Chelsea and Barcelona have come face to face at this stage. The Catalan giants came out on top in each of the previous two fixtures despite Chelsea’s best efforts.

The two sides met for the first time in the UEFA Women's Champions League in the 2020-21 season. It was a showpiece finale, and the first ever for the English side. Barça would eventually run rampant in a 4-0 victory to claim their first Champions League title, leaving their opponents to continue their hunt for the same feat.

For Chelsea, the upcoming semi-final against Barcelona is not only about overcoming a side known for getting the better of them. Reaching what would be their second European final would be a sign that Bompastor has taken the team to the next level.

If there were any questions about mentality, however, they were surely cast aside when the Blues came from behind to beat Manchester City in the quarter-finals. Trailing 2-0 after the first leg, a dominant first-half performance in the second saw them score three times before the interval to progress to the next round.

“I think this belief was something really strong in our side and maybe made the difference,” Bompastor said at full-time. “The mental aspects in terms of performance are sometimes 70, 80 per cent of the performance and result. Having belief and mental strength going into the game was important.”

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