Stop us if you've heard this one before but, this week Chelsea, chasing a first-ever Women's Champions League title, will take on Barcelona, the holders of the trophy, in a blockbuster European semi-final. It's the third year in a row that these two giants of the game have collided at this stage, and the result on each occasion has been the same as when they clashed in the 2021 final: Barca win. Will it be any different this year?
For a brief period last time around, it looked like Chelsea might get the job done. The Blues were 1-0 winners in Catalunya to take a slender advantage into their home leg at Stamford Bridge. However, it was there that Barca's class shone through, with Aitana Bonmati in particular showcasing her world-beating talent in a performance that not only delivered a 2-0 win, but certainly contributed to her second-successive Ballon d'Or triumph just a few months later.
Things will look at least a little different this year. Both teams have gone through changes, in the dugout and on the pitch. Indeed, after representing the Blaugrana when these two last clashed, Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh will be wearing Chelsea blue this time around. But can any of those changes allow the English champions to finally defeat Barca over two legs? Or does a fifth successive Champions League final beckon for the winners of the last two?
