Chelsea-Barcelona Data Center
On a freezing night in London, Barça took a while to warm up. Chelsea started stronger, with more intensity, even taking control of possession. Still, despite the role reversal with the ball, Barça managed to create some dangerous chances, like the one where Pajor found herself alone in front of the keeper after a brilliant flicked control, though the ball ran just a bit too far for the Polish striker. Or the clever pass to Graham Hansen, who seemed to take her time before shooting, and by the time she was ready, the ball had already been cleared.
Then came a real shock, as the Blues launched a counterattack finished off by Carpenter with a powerful strike that left Cata Coll with no chance. 1-0 after just fifteen minutes.
Pajor responded, but her goal was ruled out for clear offside. She didn’t let it bother her. Just as against Madrid, where two of her goals were disallowed before she scored twice, she was celebrating the equalizer minutes later, pouncing on a loose ball in the box and placing it out of Peng’s reach.
Blackout at Stamford Bridge
The downside for the Catalans was that Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas were under almost man-to-man marking, and with Patri Guijarro injured at home, their passing game suffered, making it easier for Chelsea to win the ball and launch quick transitions. Cata Coll made a couple of key saves, and the post denied Kaptein from close range, keeping Barça in the game just before play was halted by a stadium-wide blackout that lasted nearly 10 minutes. When the lights came back, Aitana was the first to nearly score, but she was just a few centimeters short of connecting with the cross. Baltimore also had a chance on the counter in stoppage time.
Barça seemed to improve with more controlled possession, but lacked the depth to really trouble Chelsea’s defense. Sonia Bompastor’s side also struggled to make the right decisions, so it was up to the substitutes to inject some energy. That happened in the 72nd minute when Macario, who had just come on, headed a free kick into the net. Her joy was short-lived, though, as the goal was ruled out for offside. Barça survived by mere millimeters.
The scare didn’t spark Barça into life—if anything, it had the opposite effect. Soon after, Carpenter broke through again and found herself one-on-one with Cata Coll, but her shot went wide. It’s the kind of chance that will haunt her all night. Pere Romeu’s team tried to respond with a long-range effort from Alexia Putellas, but it wasn’t their night, nor that of their attacking teammates. All things considered, Barça can return to Barcelona satisfied with the 1-1 draw and the Champions League lead after four rounds.
Flashscore Player of the Match: Carpenter (Chelsea).