Outfought and outclassed by Barcelona, Chelsea look cooked in Champions League semi

BARCELONA, Spain -- It might be all over for Chelsea. After slumping to a 4-1 defeat to Barcelona in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semifinal, they face a mammoth, almost impossible task to claw their way back into contention for a place in the final.

The Women's Super League (WSL) leaders had only lost one game before this, a 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the first leg of the quarterfinals, a scoreline they overturned to book their place in this tie.

But this time, they need to overturn a three-goal deficit after suffering their biggest defeat in 17 months -- 4-1 to Arsenal in December 2023, while the club were still under the helm of former manager Emma Hayes. It will need to be their best performance, potentially ever, to make their first final since 2019.

Their quadruple hopes also lay in tatters. The Champions League has always eluded Chelsea; its place in the trophy cabinet remains empty, collecting dust after copious failed attempts. After sealing the League Cup, booking a place in the FA Cup final, and being three points clear at the top of the WSL table with a game in hand, they may win three domestic titles -- an incredible feat nonetheless -- but remain without the one they desire the most.

Having got the tactics right pretty much all season, it was the first time that Sonia Bompastor -- a former winner of the competition as both a player and a manager -- got it wrong. Trying to play a possession game against a team who notoriously retain the majority of the ball forced Chelsea onto the back foot and they did not adjust accordingly. They then made too many mistakes. Against lesser opposition, they can get away with such errors. Against the current best team in Europe, they are indefensible.

The Catalans found it easy to break down the visitors, in what was the third consecutive meeting of the sides in the final four of the competition.

The evening started positively for Chelsea and confidence would've been high. Eight minutes in, Barcelona were awarded a penalty after Nathalie Björn handled the ball. Alexia Putellas, former Ballon d'Or winner and leading goal scorer -- she ranks third for the club across the men's and women's teams -- took the spot kick, but was denied by goalkeeper Hannah Hampton in spectacular fashion.

But after the 10-minute mark, it began to fall apart. The defence began to falter and the Blues were unable to contend with Barça's ruthless, dominant and fluid attack, conceding more than two goals for the first time this season.

Putellas' tally of 210 goals for Barcelona make her a standout for this side and while she has not returned to the level that she enjoyed before suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in 2022, she has contributed consistently, expertly engineering the opening goal.

Following a long ball over the top, Putellas picked up the ball after Chelsea fumbled the clearance, classily turning to thread through for an onside Ewa Pajor, who slotted home with ease past Hampton.

By the end of the first half, Barcelona had registered 70% possession, starving Chelsea of chances, although the visitors did look threatening on the counter. The balls into the area looked dangerous, but getting bodies into the box was seldom effective, leaving them looking for answers.

Barcelona's threats continued to increase with the introduction of Clàudia Pina in the 66th minute, who is leading Champions League Golden Boot race. Despite notching seven goals in the competition, the 23-year-old has been unable to break into the XI consistently. Perhaps wanting to prove that she can start in the final if required, Pina netted just three minutes after being introduced with an expertly timed strike.

In response, Sandy Baltimore gave Chelsea a sliver of hope. Credit to United States forward Catarina Macario, whose effortless work to retain possession and send a stunning ball in to the France international, which she rocketed into the far bottom corner. It was not enough.

The following 20 minutes was a mental capitulation for Chelsea as they crumbled under the immense pressure. The defence proved just how penetrable it was after former teammate Irene Paredes peeled off Lucy Bronze to head home a set piece at the back post. At the other end, the frustrations were clear as the visitors scrambled to try to press forward.

Taking her tally to nine goals on the continent, after getting her second to seal the hefty drubbing, Pina's celebrations were understandably emphatic, a far cry from the sunken, demoralised Chelsea players who trudged off the pitch.

They lost the battle in all three areas of the pitch. In midfield, the hosts' well-oiled machine overran and outmuscled Chelsea. The defence was sloppy in communication and error-laden. The attack was lacking any sort of clinical edge. Barcelona had 19 shots, nine on target. Chelsea had just five, with two on target. Simply put, Bompastor's team were not at the races.

In 2019, Barcelona defeated Chelsea 4-0 in the Champions League final, with an exceptional first-half performance. The afternoon was somewhat reminiscent of that. Chelsea collapsed in the first half six years ago, whereas this time they collapsed in the final 20 minutes. The Blues have been on a five-year winning streak in the league but were unable to turn their domestic success into continental victory. They may be waiting another year to change that.

The Blues face relegation-bound Crystal Palace in midweek before hosting Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. Not only do they need to score three goals, they also need to avoid conceding, something that seems improbable against such ruthless opposition.

It will need to be arguably the best performance in their 33-year history as a club to have any hope of reaching the final.