Chelsea Set for Champions League Semi finals Showdown With Holders Barcelona

Barcelona will face Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals after beating Brann 5-2 on aggregate in the last-eight.

Barcelona set up a last-four clash with Chelsea on Thursday evening with a 3-1 win over Norwegian side Brann. Goals from Aitana Bonmati, Fridolina Rolfo and Patricia Guijarro proved decisive, despite a late strike from Tomine Svendheim for Brann. Barcelona won 2-1 in Norway, and have thus secured safe passage into the last four, where they have already been drawn against the Blues.

Barcelona are the reigning Champions League holders and they have a remarkable record in the competition. They have reached the final in each of the last three seasons, winning it twice, and losing to Lyon in 2021-22. They were also runners-up in 2018-19, again losing to Lyon. By comparison, Chelsea have reached the final once, in 2020-21, but Barcelona beat them 4-0 in a humiliating defeat.

Barcelona and Chelsea will contest one semi-final and the other will be between Lyon - who beat Benfica 6-2 on aggregate in the last eight - and Paris Saint-Germain, who beat BK Hacken 3-0 on Thursday to seal a 5-1 aggregate win.

Chelsea are fighting on multiple fronts and will take on Arsenal in the FA WSL Cup final this weekend. They are also top of the WSL table, so they remain on track for a historic treble; they will, though, have to exorcise the ghost of their Champions League final defeat if they are to secure all three trophies.

 

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