Chelsea fans could be forgiven for thinking this would be their year in the Women's Champions League. After Emma Hayes led the Blues further than they'd ever been in this competition, reaching the 2021 final, Sonia Bompastor was appointed as her successor in the summer, having lifted the trophy as both a player and a manager.
With the experience of five-time winner Lucy Bronze following her to the club, and a January spending spree that included the arrivals of Keira Walsh and Naomi Girma, Chelsea were certainly pushing to go to that next level. Yet, if that elusive title is to make its way to Stamford Bridge, it will surely not be this year.
On Sunday, Bompastor's side lost the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona by a devastating 4-1 scoreline. It's the third time these two have clashed at this stage in three years - and for the third season in a row, the Catalans look set to emerge victorious.
Back in England, things are as rosy as they can be for Chelsea. In pole position to win a sixth-successive Women's Super League title, they've already lifted the League Cup and are into next month's FA Cup final. Domestic dominance, then, is continuing as usual - but how do the Blues translate that into European success?
