Semi-final second legs: Chelsea vs Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain vs Lyon

The UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals conclude this weekend. We preview the last stage of the race to Bilbao.

Barcelona seek recovery at Chelsea

Barcelona were the last of the 19 different clubs Chelsea had faced in the UEFA Women's Champions League under Emma Hayes that they were yet to defeat, until last Saturday. Erin Cuthbert's first-half goal at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys ended Barcelona's unbeaten home run stretching back to 2016, and they must now overturn a 1-0 deficit at Stamford Bridge if they are to make their fourth straight final and keep up their hopes of retaining the title.

The only times any team have lost at home in the first leg of a semi-final but still gone through was in 2005/06, when both Frankfurt and Turbine Potsdam managed it against Montpellier and Djurgården/Älvsjö respectively. Perhaps hope for Barcelona comes from their 1-0 win at Chelsea in the first leg of their semi-final last year, Caroline Graham Hansen's superb early goal decisive, and even from the previous round, where the Blues had prevailed 1-0 at Lyon but in the home return ended up needing an equaliser at the end of extra time and a penalty shoot-out to go through to face the Blaugrana.

Even this season, against the likes of Ajax, Paris FC and Häcken, Chelsea have had better away results than in their home meetings, but their tactical display in Barcelona has suggested they are capable of eliminating the team that beat them 4-0 in the 2021 final. That is Chelsea's only previous trip to the decider, and naturally they are determined to go one better in the valedictory campaign of Emma Hayes's long reign.

Lyon on top after comeback

Paris and Lyon met for a record 11th time in this competition last Saturday and the game was perhaps the most thrilling of them all. Visitors Paris seemed to be in control as Marie-Antoinette Katoto's double had them 2-0 up with just ten minutes left only for Kadidiatou Diani, Melchie Dumornay and Amel Majri to turn the game in sensational style, the first time Lyon have overturned a two-goal deficit to win in Europe.

Two years ago in the semi-finals, Lyon also beat Paris 3-2 in the OL Stadium first leg, Katoto having struck first on that occasion too. Lyon then proceeded to win 2-1 at Parc des Princes but Paris showed in this first leg that they have enough of a threat to reverse that and reach their third final. Eight-time champions Lyon are aiming to make an 11th decider, three of the past ten following semi-final defeats of Paris.

OL certainly have had the upper hand against their arch-rivals over time and even in recent games, their unbeaten run against Paris now standing at six games. There is also a sub-plot of the race to finish competition top scorer, as Katoto's first-leg double had drawn her level with Diani on seven only for the former Paris forward to edge back ahead as she began the comeback.

Where is the 2024 UEFA Women's Champions League final being played?

San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao will stage the 2024 Women's Champions League final at 18:00 CET on Saturday 25 May.

The 50,000-plus capacity home of Bilbao's Athletic Club was built on the site of the old San Mamés, replacing the 100-year-old arena of the same name in 2013. Athletic Club women's team have played several games in the new stadium, attracting 48,121 fans for a 2019 cup tie against Atlético de Madrid, at the time a Spanish record.