The new bête noire threatening Barça in Europe

The moment of truth has arrived for Pere Romeu's Barça. The Blaugranas kick off their Champions League semi-finals against Chelsea this Sunday at Johan (6 p.m., TV3). The Catalans are determined to dethrone them from European dominance. Barça has three Champions League titles, the last two consecutive, and five finals, while the Londoners have only managed to reach one final, in which they were thrashed by the Catalans.

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 one step ahead of the English. 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 momentum from the play, in a more measured manner. "Chelsea's mentality reminds me of Lyon's when they were Barça's bête noire." Harpur, along the same lines, 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 last 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 flawless. 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?

Both Chelsea and Barça are clubs that dominate the league at the national level. The London side has by far the largest budget in the Women's Super League. However, the English league is more competitive than the Spanish one, where only Real Madrid seems able to compete with the Catalans. In England, Chelsea leads the league, but with Arsenal and Manchester United squeezing them at the top of the table. "They're a club focused on winning titles. Aside from their financial potential, they also invest in young talent and have a very effective loan system," explains Harpur. Paul Green, general manager, is the brains behind the project. "Their transfer and recruitment policy is very powerful. They're masters of planning, always thinking 18 months in advance to renew the team."

Chelsea are eager for revenge for the 2021 final, in which the Catalans defeated them 4-0. To this, Ibaceta concludes that we must add the rivalry between the Catalans and Sonia Bompastor, the last coach to deny the Catalans a Champions League title in the 2022 Turin final. "A powerful rivalry has built up between Chelsea and Barça in Europe in recent years. Furthermore, there are former teams in recent years." Johan will experience a high-voltage duel.