Death, taxes and Chelsea facing Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League. There are some things in life that are inevitable.
The frequency with which these two teams meet is almost as staggering as Barça’s record in them. The Catalan side have dumped Chelsea out of the competition in the semifinal stage in each of the last three years, and thrashed them 4-0 in the 2021 final.
Across their seven meetings, Chelsea have won just one game — the first leg of the semifinal in 2024.
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Thursday’s meeting will be unique as it’s the first time the two sides will meet in a non-knockout setting. While the stakes are compartively low, it’s unlikely the intensity will be.
By their standards, Chelsea have made a middling start to the season. They sit three points behind leaders Manchester City in the Women’s Super League (WSL), and have failed to win their previous two league games.
They were held to a disappointing draw in their UWCL opener against Twente, but comprehensively thrashed Paris FC and St. Polten in their following two games.
Barring a surprise loss to Real Sociedad in Liga F, Barça have been flawless this season. They have won 13 of their 14 games so far in all competitions, and have been in devastating form in Europe. Across their three UWCL games so far, they have scored 14 goals and conceded just one.
Can Chelsea stop the juggernaut at Stamford Bridge today? Tune in below for live updates!
