What we learned from the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final first legs
This is our review of the Women's Champions League semi-finals first legs as Chelsea do what no team has done to Barcelona in five years and Lyon pull of an amazing six minute comeback against PSG.
Yesterday were the first legs of this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals which saw Chelsea and Lyon gain one-goal advantages in very different circumstances, setting themselves up with a lead each ahead of next weekend’s all important second legs.
These first leg matches are essentially ‘half-time’ in 180 minutes minimum of semi-final football where the pressure rises and the best of the best have to rise to the occasion and see their team through to the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. So with that, let’s go through these two first legs
A fantastic performance from Chelsea
Erin Cuthbert’s goal in the 40th minute was enough for Chelsea as they take a one-goal lead with them into the second leg at Stamford Bridge having beaten Barcelona 1-0 at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.
It was a great display from Chelsea against a Barcelona team that in last meetings have always had their number, even with performances against them always looking more assured every time they come up against them and this time around, they finally got the better of them with an admirable performance which left them facing a lot of pressure from their opponents, but not much in the way of clear cut chances.
We have to look at certain individual performances from Chelsea players in this game, even if we can very easily praise the overall team performance. Starting defensively with Jess Carter who was so impressive at centre-back in a back three with Kadeisha Buchanan and Niamh Charles which held Barcelona off. She was putting in challenges and great blocks to stop attackers grabbing a goal. Plus it felt like she was leading the line really well and guided it all to stay compact and make it difficult for Barcelona to get through them.
Also some praise for their wing-backs in this game; Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Ashley Lawrence both performed well on their respective sides of the pitch once they got settled in and were able to cause a problem or two for Barcelona. On the attacking side of things, what a showing it was from Mayra Ramirez. She was fed the ball on many occasions and really did well not just getting in behind the defence but also helped others get up the field as well when receiving the ball.
It’s not job done of course for Chelsea, it is just part one of this semi-final clash. However it is very ideal for them to go into the second leg one-nil up against a team as good as Barcelona, who will almost certainly look to be much better next week. Even with a fantastic performance such as this you need some fortune on your side and they got that when a penalty had been given for a handball by Kadeisha Buchanan, but a VAR check followed and Salma Paralluelo was offside in the build-up to it, therefore it was overturned and Chelsea were given a reprieve.
There will have been many memorable performances in Emma Hayes’ nine year tenure in charge. It feels like this one has the potential to be one of the most remembered. They will have to reach the final for this first leg performance to really be thought about more in the future. If they can avoid defeat in the second leg at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will make it to their second ever UEFA Women’s Champions League final.
Barcelona disappoint in first leg
Coming into this with such a strong home record and the added pressure of being the favourites in the eyes of many of us once again. Barcelona just did not look like their usual fluid best for large parts of this match.
They have the players to cause so many problems to even the best of teams at times, but yesterday, it felt like they didn’t reach the level we know they are capable of and because of that they now find themselves with work to do in the second leg in London next weekend.
Barcelona did have the opportunities to create chances. Caroline Graham Hansen started the game well out wide providing a threat with Barca establishing some early control in the game. Salma Paralluelo too was getting in behind trying to make chances, but they couldn’t register a shot on target until very near the end of the match itself. Their performance was missing its usual fluidity and spark that makes them so enjoyable to watch. Too many times it felt like something was missing in the final third with some intricate passing attempts not coming off for them as Chelsea defended well making it difficult for them to be broken down.
You always have that expectation that Barcelona will just go up to another level when they need to do it. But in this match, they looked off the pace and without the quality and clinical edge that has seen them run through so many teams in the past. Jonatan Giráldez made the changes in the second half to galvanise the team bringing on Alexia Putellas, Vicky Lopez and Lucy Bronze to add something extra, however the level never really went up by that much of an extra gear. Alexia Putellas went so close to a late leveller but that really was as close as it got for Barça.
This loss is the first time they have been beaten in a competitive home match since February 2019. Five years without losing at home is staggering, but also a sign of the dominance that this team has shown over the years. They have only missed out on playing in a Women’s Champions League final once in the last five years and they won’t want to miss out on appearing in a fourth straight final this time. They have something to work on ahead of next Saturday’s 17:30 kick-off for the second leg.
Lyon’s extraordinary six minute comeback
What on earth went on in the last ten minutes of this one? Lyon came from behind to win 3-2 against PSG in this other semi-final. Giving them a one goal lead going into the second leg next weekend.
Lyon had started the game well with early pressure on PSG and had kept that going for a lot of the game and managed to make that pressure count as the game went on. Of course though they did go behind on the 44th minute with Marie-Antoinette Katoto tapping it in to put PSG ahead before half-time. Katoto added her second, three minutes after the start of the second half.
Lyon continued though having the most control of the game despite PSG having their chances. Notable efforts from Delphine Cascarino, Lindsay Horan and Damaris Egurrola could have changed this game earlier in Lyon’s favour. But it was once that second goal went in that Lyon stepped it up a bit more as the half went on.
This season’s UWCL top scorer Kadidiatou Diani added another one to her tally as she made it 2-1 to give Lyon hope. Then five minutes later, Melchie Dumornay finished off a thunderous strike to get her team level, before the comeback was complete with Amel Majri hitting it into the bottom right corner and Lyon went on to win the first leg and take an advantage into next week.
The eight-time winners of this competition almost gave themselves a lot of work to do in that second leg. But what was most surprising out of all of it, was that Lyon had dominated the match at times. They were left reeling from going behind, but still found the resiliency to get back into it. Once they got the first, they just started firing at that top level we know they are capable of playing at. They sent their fans into raptures and produced a memorable comeback the which would only have been bettered if it was done in the second leg to then reach the final. But it’s still an important comeback that might yet see them through to another final.
Katoto stars but PSG now have it all to do
For PSG, this defeat will sting. They will wonder how they did not hold on for those last ten minutes to put the advantage in their favour ahead of next week’s second leg at the Parc des Princes.
In the first half which largely saw PSG feeling the pressure put onto them by Lyon they had done well to go into half-time leading the match. Some praise for goalkeeper Constance Picaud who did well for a lot of this match with some of the saves she managed to make. The first goal had come from Sandy Baltimore showing skill and determination to get the cross into the box which as mentioned found it’s way to Katoto via a deflection and then finished off the low shot.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto shined for PSG in this match and ended up reacting the quickest for that second goal she scored as she shot the ball into the far corner past Christiane Endler. She could have even added more goals. The one chance in the first half before her first goal where she hit it wide of Endler and then one on the 71st minute when she received the ball from Tabitha Chawinga. She was taking a leading role for PSG, even when 3-2 down at the end and having went off as a substitute she was still rallying the team letting them know that it wasn’t completely over.
Paris Saint-Germain had the threat on the counter-attack with quick pace and creativity from the likes of Tabitha Chawinga and Sandy Baltimore, but as the match went on that threat seemed to tire out and furthermore that just allowed Lyon to increase the pressure at it’s fullest and PSG couldn’t deal with it.
They have to pick themselves up quickly from this. Next week’s second leg will see them a goal down on aggregate but they should treat the match as one they just have to win. They have good players that can cause problems for Lyon’s defence as proven many times before when they have played them. But now, they have take that next step, they have to go and beat Lyon and also withstand a full 90 minutes against them giving it there all, otherwise they might just look back on this whole tie with regrets.