Thank you for joining me for this cracker of a game. Barcelona are top of the table for now, with Chelsea chasing an all-important top four spot that guarantees a quarter-final space. Ellie Carpenter and Ewa Pajor got on the scoresheet but both teams largely cancelled each other out at Stamford Bridge. The report is below if you want to catch up on any of the action. See you soon.
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Chelsea captain Erin Cuthbert, with the armband for Millie Bright who was an unused sub, told Disney +: “I think tonight it was about how we performed. Earlier on this year we didn’t put our best foot forward. Tonight is a performance to be proud of and it’s a good draw. I think it is something to build on.”
Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor told Disney +: “Today was an intense game and we don’t have many chances to score. It’s 1-1 and just one point but we are looking forward to the next two games.
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There are two rounds of the Women’s Champions League ‘league’ phase. Chelsea have Roma and Wolfsburg, while Barcelona have Benfica and Paris FC.
In the other 8pm GMT kick-offs, Bayern have beaten PSG 3-1 and so the French team are bottom of the table. While OH Leuven and Roma drew 1-1-.
Full time: Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona
Before the game a lot of people would have tipped Barcelona to win this game but Chelsea were tactically on point. This rivalry continues to rumble on with both impressive at Stamford Bridge. The result means Barcelona do top the group, while Chelsea sit in sixth.
90 + 2 min: The fight for a winner continues but Camara does well against Baltimore.
90 + 1 min: There will be three minutes added.
89 min: Macario does really well up against Batlle and then wins a corner. This might be Chelsea’s last chance to win the game but they have to be wary of Barca’s counter threat. The Blues take it short and it comes in but Coll collects.
88 min: Barca make a double change with Putellas and Pina off for Schertenleib and Nazareth.
87 min: Barca are throwing everything at Chelsea right now to find a winner but the Blues are remaining strong … just.
85 min: Barca win a corner and it’s popped in by Pina but it’s easily dealt with by Chelsea.
84 min: Talk about loose at the back, Barca counter but Chelsea manage to wrestle it back. Bronze then passes to Peng who boots it clear. The visitors keep pressing and Putellas puts in a shot but the keeper collects.
82 min: Oh my gosh, that should have been a goal from Carpenter. It is started by Thompson and it is delicately threaded between multiple players and it’s on a plate for Carpenter but it’s wide.
81 min: On the balance Barca look the less tired of the two teams on the pitch right now. There are bursts of energy from Chelsea but Barca are more consistent. But as things stand it is not affecting the scoreboard.
79 min: Leon sends it in but it’s headed clear once again, it looked like a carbon copy of the earlier free kick Barca took.
78 min: Pina wins a free kick from a Cuthbert foul, it’s in another great position.
76 min: In that break Lopez was brought on for Graham Hansen for Barca.
VAR checked the goal extensively and it is judge to be offside. That was a very close call.
74 min: Wow, I almost alerted you to a goal as I was so convinced that was a goal. The delivery is great and Macario thinks it’s in. VAR will check it but it’s doubtful.
73 min: Chelsea win a free kick but before the set piece is taken Macario is on for Beever-Jones for the hosts.
72 min: Chelsea are on the attack now but the Barca defence has been largely impenetrable this match.
70 min: It shows how frustrating this game has been for Barca is that shot from Bonmati. It was a weak long range shot that Peng collected.
68 min: Leon sends it in but it’s headed clear by Bronze and Aleixandri can’t keep it in.
67 min: Carpenter can’t believe it as a decision goes against her and Barca are awarded a free kick in a good position.
66 min: The commentators are also lauding Barcelona for their investment in the women’s team but I think they have a depleated squad because they couldn’t afford to invest this past summer? They lost 17 players in the summer, some on loan, including Fridolina Rolfo.
64 min: Carpenter makes a great run and she decides to go by herself despite Thompson making the run in and the effort is wide.
63 min: The Spanish club are pushing for a winner here with Chelsea being forced to do all of the defending, the blue wall is being maintained for now. Barca are the first to make a change with Brugts off for Camara.
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61 min: Barcelona have the upper hand in this second half but it is still toing and froing. It’s anyone’s to win. A reminder a draw would put Barca top of the table.
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60 min: Girma this time does well to defend as she watches the ball roll out with Graham Hansen chasing her down.
58 min: Cuthbert goes down and grabs her head. The Scottish star came flying in to head away a ball and takes time to get back to her feet but she is okay to continue.
57 min: Chelsea are loose at the back and it feels like the moment for Barcelona to pounce but Aleixandri’s shot goes miles over the bar.
56 min: Aleixandri defends really well as Chelsea peel into the box. Carpenter feeds Kaptein but Aleixandri marshals it out of play.
54 min: Barcelona thread together their most promising play of this half but Chelsea manage to wrestle the ball back on the edge of the box.
52 min: Joe Pearson has emailed and replied to Peter:
Personally, I like to mix in black beans with red beans in my chili, and sneak in some chorizo (to get that smoky flavor) and a couple diced chipotle peppers with adobo (to add an extra kick). It’s not that I won a chili cook-off or anything. Wait, I actually did!
That sounds like a challenge to me! On the pitch the two sides continue to gift possession to each other without landing shots.
50 min: Carpenter appeals for a free kick but it is not given, she can be heard saying “you’re joking”.
49 min: A lot of back and forth at the moment as the both sides aim to get a footing in this half.
47 min: Chelsea start a nice move by Beever-Jones strays offside.
Back underway: Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona
Can either team find a winner? Let’s find out. In the other 8pm GMT kick-offs, Bayern are beating PSG and Roma are leading OH Leuven 1-0. If Bayern end up beating PSG the French club will be bottom of the table.
Charles has emailed:
Did they stop the game just because it couldn’t be televised? That must be a first….. and not a good one.
No, I believe the game was paused because other tech for the officials was knocked out. There is VAR in operation this evening, for example.
Peter has emailed and said:
It’s lunchtime here in chilly (though not by British standards) northern California. I’m tucking into a bowl of hot chili made by the missus. Beef, red beans, corn, and spices.
I reckon the technical issues at Stamford Bridge mean that Chelsea will take a hit in the power rankings.
Your food sounds amazing and I can confirm it is absolutely freezing in the UK! I love a good pun Peter and that’s hit the standard.
Do you want to get in touch? Send me an email.
Half-time: Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona
What an entertaining half. Ellie Carpenter scored a screamer but Ewa Pajor equalised from a corner. Then there was a nine minute break after a power outage at Stamford Bridge. What will the second half bring? All to come.
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45 + 8 min: It feels like both are slightly winding down the clock to get into half-time after this stop start first half. But Chelsea zing more life into the game with Baltimore’s effort saved.
45 + 6 min: Chelsea are on the move and Thompson’s run is great, she is hassled on the edge of the box and the chance is thwarted.
45 + 4 min: It’s a bit sluggish since the restart but Barca are in control at the moment.
45 + 2 min: Barca win a corner and this is how they equalised earlier in the game. This time though Cuthbert clears the danger. The Blues counter but Baltimore’s left-footed strike is over the bar.
45 min: Oh gosh it’s later than I thought. We are into nine minutes of added time.
40 min: I think we are restarting at 40 minutes and Chelsea get immediately back into the box and Thompson’s chance is wide.
Oh do we have a restart? The lights flash and the ball is back in play. Here we go again.
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The floodlights are on and the Disney + broadcast is back but the BBC one is still out. Players in huddles now with a big passage of added time coming in this first half.
It was a power outage at Stamford Bridge. Both teams are now running to the sidelines. The game has paused while things start connecting again.
Right just to update everyone, it seems they paused play as the technical equipment also went down at Stamford Bridge at the same time as the broadcasting coverage. The stream is now working again but the players are paused. An interesting development.
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39 min: The BBC feed is also down so I think it may be an issue at the ground in terms of signal or something else technical that I do not understand.
37 min: Just as Chelsea move the ball forward once more a message comes up on Disney + saying ‘we’re experiencing technical difficulties, we’ll be right back’. I will bring you as many updates as I can.
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36 min: Thompson squares a perfect ball but no one is there to turn it home. Chelsea come again and Kaptein’s effort is palmed onto the post from Coll. That was oh so close to a goal.
35 min: Boos rain down on the pitch as Barcelona take almost a minute to clear their lines from goal. The commentators believe Barca want Chelsea to come out of their shape to challenge them but the Blues are not falling for it… yet.
33 min: Chelsea try and capitalise on their momentum with Baltimore firing it into the box but Barca do just enough for now to stop them.
31 min: A lovely save from Coll as Kaptein is fed the ball but the hosts continue to pressure. Beever-Jones sends it in again but the keeper is wise to it.
29 min: Chelsea now win a free kick after Leon fouls Thompson. It’s in a better position than Barca’s and the Blues get it to the edge of the box before Leon cleans up her own mess.
28 min: Putellas wins a free kick after a foul from Baltimore but it’s by the halfway line so they will be building from deep. They run it back to Coll before hundreds of passes ensue.
26 min: That was poor defensively from Chelsea, so many players just watching that fly past them. It is a good finish from Pajor but the Blues should have done more about that.
GOAL: Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona (Pajor 24)
Pina pops the corner in and it’s a scramble in the box. Chelsea don’t get it clear and Pajor scores.
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24 min: Despite Barca’s possession increasing, it is Chelsea who have the next chance. It comes into the box four times but the visitors keep calm heads to clear. Barca then create something themselves and win a corner.
22 min: Barca are known for sustained possession but it feels like they are taking it to another level since conceding, their passes seem as though they are going in slow motion.
20 min: Barca are patiently building up their attack and Girma is under immense pressure to get the ball out of the box, which she just manages to do. Barca win it back and Pajor thinks she has scored but she is offside. Close.
18 min: Well, well. Who would have predicted this? Of course it is early in the game but it is Barcelona’s to chase.
Chelsea break with Beever-Jones finding Carpenter. The Australia star makes a fantastic run into the box and absolutely pelts it into the net. Game on.
GOAL: Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona (Carpenter 16)
What a goal.
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16 min: Leon takes the corner and while the delivery was good it’s defended well by Beever-Jones.
15 min: What a save from Peng after the brilliant Graham Hansen is a nuisance once again. The Norway international is alert to everything right now and makes a great run through. Peng concedes a corner.
14 min: Chelsea are continually pressing here but the defensive line from Barca is so solid. It ends with Bronze booting it goalward and Coll collects. The visitors immediately react and Graham Hansen puts in a beauty of a ball which finds Pina but Peng reads it perfectly to collect.
12 min: Baltimore makes a great move again to outsmart Graham Hansen but then the Norway international defends really well to get them out of jail once again.
10 min: Baltimore does excellently down the left to gain some good territory but they can’t then create anything and the hosts run it all the way back to Peng.
8 min: Thompson makes a great run and finds Beever-Jones. They switch back and forth before a loose touch sees the visitors out of danger. A nice spell from the Blues but their final touches just not enough.
6 min: Chelsea’s high press is causing Barca some problems but they manage to skilfully weave themselves out of danger. They run it through the team to Pina but her shot is over the post.
4 min: Barca have had the lions share of these opening exchanges but neither side have registered a shot yet. But Cuthbert now sens Kaptein on her way but the cross in is read well by Coll.
2 min: If you have been following the WSL, Chelsea’s form has dropped of late despite being unbeaten. While Barca have grown game-on-game this season in Liga F. It would be a shock if the Blues came away with a win tonight.
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Kick-off: Chelsea 0-0 Barcelona
Here we go.
I’d love to hear from you and if you have read one of my blogs before you will know I love a bit of snack chat. Let me know what you’re digging into while this box office match plays out.
The other two English teams in the competition played yesterday with two very different outcomes. You can get up to date with those here:
Earlier today Twente lost 4-0 to Atletico Madrid. There will be two other 8pm GMT kick-offs this evening which I will try to keep you updated with as OH Leuven take on Roma and PSG play Bayern Munich.
Here’s an interview with the Chelsea captain Millie Bright, who starts from the bench this evening:
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Barcelona and Chelsea are the two teams with the joint-best defensive record in the Women’s Champions League this season as they have each only conceded once.
Barcelona manager Pere Romeu said on the Blues: “Beating Chelsea is difficult, but doing it again is even harder. The last times, we achieved it thanks to our style of play, and if we have a complete performance tomorrow, we’ll be closer to winning again.”
Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor said about Barcelona: “Every game against Barcelona is a big challenge, I don’t feel any different this season compared to previous seasons.”
“They are a really good team, but I also trust the quality we have in our squad. We are expecting the game to be a top game, but we are ready for the challenge and we’ll focus also on ourselves.”
The team news is in. Sam Kerr is out and Lauren James features from the bench for the hosts with the goalkeeper Livia Peng as Hannah Hampton is still injured.
Chelsea: Peng, Bronze, Bjorn, Girma, Baltimore, Carpenter, Kaptein, Walsh, Cuthbert, Thompson, Beever-Jones.
Bench: Spencer, Bright, Buurman, Nusken, Macario, James, Rytting Kaneryd, Charles, Jean-Francois, Hamano, Potter.
For Barcelona, the two players who have played a part in every game against Chelsea feature in Caroline Graham Hansen and Aitana Bonmati.
Barca: Coll, Paredes, Leon, Aleixandri, Pina, Graham Hansen, Putellas, Bonmati, Pajor, Batlle, Brugts.
Bench: Gemma, Sydney, Serrajordi, Kika, Vicky, Aicha, Cano, Fenger, Txell Font, Carla Julia.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the Women’s Champions League match between Chelsea and Barcelona. A win for either side this evening could see them jump to the top of the table which would supplant Lyon, who are currently top with 10 points.
Barcelona will be the heavy favourites despite Chelsea being at home. Last season the two teams played one another in the Champions League semi-finals, in home and away legs, with Chelsea losing 8-2 on aggregate.
But the Blues do have home advantage and they have not lost a game since the last time the two teams played each other at Stamford Bridge in April.
There will be team news to bring you shortly but what we know so far is that Lauren James could be involved for Chelsea, while Sam Kerr has been ruled out of the fixture. Stay tuned for more updates before kick-off at 8pm GMT.
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