Champions Barcelona ooze class as Hayes says goodbye

Barcelona win 2-1 on aggregate

- JAMIE BRAIDWOOD

Chelsea 0

Barcelona 2

Bonmati (25), Rolfo (75)

Emma Hayes stared into the distance and puffed out her cheeks as the full-time whistle went and the dream came crashing down. There will be no Women’s Champions League title in Hayes’s final season, no Bilbao final to provide the ultimate send-off after 12 years in charge. For the third time in four years, it is Barcelona who are responsible, but perhaps it is this defeat that will hurt the most. Chelsea were thrashed in the 2021 final, they weren’t competitive in last season’s semi-final. But here, as Barcelona continue their Champions League defence and now go for back-to-back European crowns, Chelsea will know they have never been so close to their first.

In front of a record 40,000 at Stamford Bridge, the big moments went against Chelsea and turned a historic occasion Barcelona’s way. Chelsea will regret missed chances when the tie was in the balance and will be left to fume over the decisions that went against them. The sending-off of Kadeisha Buchanan for the softest of second yellow cards reduced Chelsea to 10 players and left Hayes’s side with over half an hour to hang on. Fridolina Rolfo’s penalty 20 minutes from time gave Barcelona the lead for the first time and Chelsea with it all to do. The presence of VAR did not save Chelsea, or intervene when Aitana Bonmati went down under the slightest push in the box from Jess Carter.