Chelsea vs Barcelona facts

Holders Barcelona take a 4-1 lead to Stamford Bridge for the second leg of their UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final tie with Chelsea.

Ewa Pajor's sixth European goal of the season gave Barcelona a 35th-minute lead at the Estadi Johan Cruyff on 20 April after team-mate Alexia Putellas had had an early penalty saved by Hannah Hampton. Top scorer Clàudia Pina doubled the hosts' advantage with 20 minutes left and, though Sandy Baltimore's strike four minutes later reduced Chelsea's deficit, late goals from Irene Paredes (82) and Pina (90) put Barcelona in command of the tie.

This is the third successive semi-final between these clubs. Barcelona, champions on both occasions, won 2-1 on aggregate in each of the previous two campaigns.

Previous meetings

2023/24 semi-finals
Barcelona 0-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 0-2 Barcelona
It was advantage Chelsea after the first leg with Erin Cuthbert's 40th-minute strike securing victory in Spain, but Barcelona turned the tables at Stamford Bridge a week later. Aitana Bonmatí brought the tie level in the 25th minute, and after Chelsea lost Kadiesha Buchanan to a second yellow card, Fridolina Rolfö converted a 75th-minute penalty to complete the turnaround for the eventual champions.

2022/23 semi-finals
Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona
Barcelona 1-1 Chelsea
Caroline Graham Hansen's stunning fourth-minute strike for Barcelona was all that separated the sides in the Stamford Bridge first leg, and the Norwegian doubled the aggregate advantage in the 63rd minute of the Camp Nou return five days later. Guro Reiten gave Chelsea hope just four minutes later, but a Barça side coached by Jonatan Giráldez held on.

2020/21 final
Barcelona 4-0 Chelsea
Chelsea's sole Women's Champions League final appearance ended in defeat against Barcelona in Gothenburg. The deadlock was broken after just 32 seconds when the ball ricocheted off Melanie Leupolz into her own net, and that was followed by goals from Putellas (14pen), Bonmati (21) and Graham Hansen (36) as Barça claimed their first European title.

Form guide

Chelsea

Record vs Spanish clubs W6 D4 L4 F18 A20
Home record vs Spanish clubs W4 D0 L2

Chelsea have won four of their last six fixtures against teams from Spain having been without a victory in the previous four. They were unbeaten in Spain prior to their first-leg defeat.

Prior to the first leg, they most recently beat Real Madrid both home (3-2) and away (2-1) during this season's group stage, when they won all six games.

Chelsea's only home defeats by Spanish visitors have come against Barcelona; they have won their other four contests in London.

In this season's quarter-finals the London club overcame a first-leg defeat at English rivals Manchester City (0-2 a, 3-0 h) to progress to their sixth semi-final, all in the last eight years.

The Blues scored 19 goals in their six Group B wins this season. Aside from the two victories against Real Madrid, they also beat Twente (3-1 a, 6-1 h) and Celtic (2-1 a, 3-0 h). They had 12 different scorers.

Mayra Ramírez and Catarina Macario are Chelsea's joint-top scorers in this season's competition with three apiece.

Chelsea have lost four of their previous five Women's Champions League semi-finals, the exception a 5-3 aggregate triumph against Bayern München (1-2 a, 4-1 h) in 2020/21.

The Blues have scored 15 goals in winning all four of their home games in the Women's Champions League this season, conceding three.

Last season the Blues claimed the Women's Super League title for the fifth season in succession and seventh overall. They won the title on goal difference after finishing level on points with City.

Sonia Bompastor's side again lead the Women's Super League this season and will contest the Women's FA Cup final against Manchester United on 18 May.

Barcelona

Record vs English clubs W8 D2 L6 F28 A17
Away record vs English clubs W3 D1 L3

Barcelona had already faced English opposition this season before this tie, beginning their group stage with a 0-2 defeat at Manchester City before defeating the same opponents 3-0 at home on Matchday 6.

That Matchday 1 loss ended a run of three straight wins away to English teams, which followed a three-game winless streak (D1 L2) in their first three contests in England.

Barcelona were winless in their first four games against English opponents but have been victorious in seven of the last ten (D1 L2).

Pina's double in the first leg, her fourth in her last two Champions League games, took her to nine in this season's competition – three more than any other player.

Barcelona moved into the semi-finals for the seventh season in succession – the first team to achieve that feat – with a 10-2 aggregate win against Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals (4-1 a, 6-1 h).

Barça's only group stage defeat this season was that 0-2 reverse at Manchester City on Matchday 1. They won their subsequent five games, beating Hammarby (9-0 h, 3-0 a), and St. Pölten (7-0 h, 4-1 a) before the return defeat of City.

Barcelona are in their eighth semi-final. They have won five of their previous seven ties, including four in a row since losing 0-1 in a one-off match against Wolfsburg in San Sebastián in 2019/20.

They retained the trophy by defeating eight-time winners Lyon 2-0 in last season's final in Bilbao, goals from Bonmatí (63) and Putellas (90+5) sealing the Spanish side's third title, all in the last four seasons.

It was Barça's second in succession after beating Wolfsburg 3-2 in the 2023 final in Eindhoven in which Patri Guijarro (48, 50) and Rolfö (70) found the net as they rallied from two goals down at the break.

Barcelona have reached the final in five of the past six seasons, losing to Lyon in 2019 (1-4) and 2022 (1-3) in addition to their three triumphs.

Barcelona also won three domestic trophies in 2024. In January they lifted the Supercopa de España Femenina before claiming a record-extending ninth Liga F title in a dominant league campaign consisting of 29 wins, one draw and no defeats. They clinched their tenth Copa de la Reina – also a record – with an 8-0 final victory against Real Sociedad.

They meet Atlético de Madrid in the Copa de la Reina final on 8 June.

Barça's loss at Manchester City on Matchday 1 is their only away defeat in all competitions this season. They have won their other 20 games.

In charge since 2021, Giráldez departed as head coach after last season's Champions League triumph; he was succeeded by assistant Pere Romeu.

Key facts

• Chelsea have won only two of their previous 11 Women's Champions League semi-final matches (D2 L7).

• The Blues have opened the scoring inside the first 15 minutes in their previous four home Women's Champions League matches this season. They scored after just two minutes in all three home group games.

• Ramírez has scored in three of Chelsea's four home European matches this season.

• Barcelona have never lost a Women's Champions League tie after winning the first leg.

• The Spanish side have won their last 17 two-legged European ties, since losing to Lyon in the 2017/18 quarter-finals.

• They have lost only two of their last 27 Women's Champions League matches (W23 D2).

• Barça have won ten of their last 12 away European fixtures (D1 L1).

• Barcelona have not lost a Women's Champions League match by a margin of three goals or more since the 2018/19 final against Lyon (1-4) – this is their 58th match since then.