UWCL: Chelsea pull off stunning comeback to defeat Man City and reach Champions League semis
Chelsea Women overcame a two-goal deficit from the first leg to secure a 3-0 victory against Manchester City, thereby setting up a Champions League semi-final clash with reigning champions Barcelona on Thursday.
Earlier, Barcelona decisively defeated Wolfsburg 6-1 in Catalonia, concluding the tie with a commanding 10-2 aggregate score.
In their fourth encounter within a span of 12 days, the English champions quickly sought to avenge their rare loss from the previous week's first leg.
The Blues turned the match around before halftime, with Sandy Baltimore striking into the top corner, followed by Nathalie Bjorn heading in from a corner to equalize the aggregate score at 2-2.
Lauren James then capitalized on a careless pass from City, assisting Mayra Ramirez for the decisive goal.
Chelsea is on track for a quadruple in Sonia Bompastor's inaugural season as head coach. They previously defeated City 2-1 in the League Cup final earlier this month, marking the beginning of their series of encounters. They have also advanced to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and currently hold an eight-point lead in the Women's Super League.
However, they face a formidable challenge next month as they attempt to dethrone Barcelona, a team that has thwarted Chelsea's Champions League ambitions in three of the last four seasons.
Pere Romeu's squad has triumphed in the tournament on all three occasions and has set a record by reaching the semi-finals for the seventh consecutive time.
Following an unexpected defeat to Real Madrid in their first-ever women's El Clasico on Sunday, Barcelona showed no mercy against the team they had previously defeated in the 2023 final.
Salma Paralluelo's rapid brace extended Barcelona's 4-1 lead from the first leg, and Esmee Brugts added a third with a powerful strike from outside the box.
Substitute Claudia Pina continued the onslaught after the hour mark, easily beating goalkeeper Anneke Borbe at her near post.
Lineth Beerensteyn managed to score a consolation goal for the visitors after Barcelona's goalkeeper Cata Coll was drawn out of position but failed to clear the ball effectively.
Pina achieved an impressive second goal with a free-kick that struck the post before entering the net, while Mapi Leon added to the score from an even greater distance, concluding Barcelona's dominant performance during stoppage time.
In the other semi-final, Arsenal will compete against eight-time champions Lyon for a chance to reach the final in Lisbon on May 24.
SportsLigue