There has been a lot of talk about the Women's Champions League around Chelsea this year. After appointing Sonia Bompastor in the summer, someone who has triumphed in the competition as both a player and a manager, and recruiting previous winners such as Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh, many believed that the Blues' chances of finally lifting the trophy that has long eluded them were better than ever. That was until Barcelona poured ice cold water on those hopes by battering Chelsea in an 8-2 aggregate win in this year's semi-finals.
It was a humbling loss, one that shocked many given Barca had only come through as 2-1 winners on aggregate when meeting the Blues in the semi-finals in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. However, while Bompastor was obviously disappointed in the aftermath, she was also bullish.
"Even if I know Barcelona is a really good team, the difference between these two teams is not that much," she told TNT Sports. "In my head, it's really clear what we need to do and what we need to achieve to be able to compete for the Champions League final and also for this title. So, probably, it's good to have this experience and my reflection to help the club to grow, I think, in different aspects again."
Indeed, this result was a huge wake-up call for Chelsea, but there are certainly reasons for the club to believe that they can come back stronger from such a devastating defeat. What are they? GOAL picks out six...
