The powerful project that aims to threaten Barça's reign in Europe

BarcelonaThe moment of truth has arrived for Pere Romeu's Barça. The Blaugrana kick off their Champions League semi-finals against Chelsea this Sunday on Johan (6 p.m., TV3). The reigning champions, led by Aitana and Alexia, who between them have won the last four Ballon d'Or awards, face one of the most strengthened projects to snatch their European crown. The trophy cabinet supports Barça—three Champions League titles, the last two consecutive, and five finals—while the Londoners have only managed to reach one final, in 2021, where they were thrashed by the Catalans.

Chelsea, the toughest opponent

Although Olympique Lyonnais remains the team that has lifted the trophy the most times (8) and Barça's last executioner in the 2022 final, Chelsea stands out as the main candidate to win the competition. "They are the toughest opponent. Lyon have lost some potential compared to previous seasons, and although Arsenal are not in good shape, they are a team capable of eliminating them," concludes Alex Ibaceta, a journalist specializing in women's football and who follows both the London team and the Barça team. On the other hand, Charlotte Harpur, a journalist for The Athletic and BBC commentator, believes that the French team is still a step above the English. In the first leg of the semi-finals, Lyon won by a narrow margin against a good version of the Gunners 1-2.

"Based on their track record, their coach [Sonia Bompastor], their squad, and the good form they're in, I think they're the only team that can scare Barça, although the Catalans shouldn't fear them mentally, because they've almost never been able to overcome them, except last year at Montjuïc (0-1), but," he added. Chelsea's main strength, according to Ibaceta, is their attack, while their weakest link would be their defense: "Millie Bright [center] is already a certain age (31 years old) and can be surpassed in speed by players like Graham Hansen or Salma Paralluelo. In attack, however, they have dynamite: "Mayra Rama Kaneryd, Catalina Macario, and Beever-Jones, who is only 21 years old. In addition, the left-back, Sandy Baltimore, also plays a lot in attack, as does Lucy Bronze, on the other side...".

Ibaceta also points out that, like Chelsea, Barça is also very powerful in attack, but he believes the English team has a more aggressive approach to play, while the Catalans rely more on building from their play, in a more leisurely manner. He summarizes: "They never give up. Somehow, they always get victories and find a way to win even if they don't play well. They have a good goalkeeper, a solid defensive line, a compact midfield, and dynamic wingers."

A project that has incorporated the experience of Sonia Bompastor

Since this season, Sonia Bompastor has been the team's coach. blueThe former Lyon player is the latest coach to beat Barça in a Champions League final. "There were doubts about how the team would respond without Emma Hayes, but the transition has been impeccable. Chelsea signed her for her experience winning the Champions League, both as a coach and as a player, and this is their ultimate goal," explains the journalist. The Athletic"With Bompastor, above all, the goal was to instill a winning mentality in the team after many years with Hayes. It's true that Chelsea has won five consecutive league titles and other trophies in England, but the Champions League is the ultimate goal," Ibaceta added.

What is Chelsea's commitment to its women's team?

The London club has, by far, the largest budget in the Women's Super League. The English league, however, is more competitive than the Spanish one, where only Real Madrid seems able to compete with the Catalans. "Apart from their financial potential, they also focus on young talent and have a very effective loan system," explains Harpur. Paul Green, the general manager, is the brains behind the project. "Their transfer and recruitment policy is very powerful. They are masters of planning, always thinking 18 months in advance to renew the squad." They defeated them with a resounding 4-0.