Chelsea's chances of reaching just a second Women's Champions League final were all but destroyed by Barcelona on Sunday as the holders took advantage of too many lapses in concentration to turn what was a tight contest into an eventual 4-1 victory in the first leg of their European semi-final.
The Blues were well in the game for the most part, trailing just 2-1 with only 16 minutes to play. However, a late collapse allowed the Catalans to score twice more and almost certainly kill the tie before it even gets to Stamford Bridge next week.
What will frustrate Chelsea even more is that it was some of the most experienced players who were guilty of the errors that Barca pounced on. Lucy Bronze didn't track Claudia Pina as she raced into the box to tap in for 2-0, after Ewa Pajor had profited from Alexia Putellas' sensational through ball to break the deadlock in the first half, and the England defender also lost Irene Paredes for Barca's third, which came after Sandy Baltimore had rifled an effort in at the other end to halve the deficit and give the Blues hope.
Millie Bright almost handed Pajor another late on when she lost the ball in her own box, but the Poland striker's uncharacteristic miss would be the last let-off. In the final minute of the 90, Pina extended her lead in the competition's Golden Boot race with another strike, this time after poor tracking from Keira Walsh.
It was harsh on Hannah Hampton to have to pick the ball out of the back of her net for the fourth time, after doing little wrong and even denying Putellas from the penalty spot early on, but it was representative of the gluttony of errors in front of her.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Estadi Johan Cruyff...
