Demolition job at Stamford Bridge as Barca reach another final
Barcelona dismantled Chelsea once again in the second leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final.
For the third season running Barcelona have beaten Chelsea in the Women’s Champions League semi-finals.
For the fifth season running they are in the Women’s Champions League final.
In Lisbon next month they will look continue cementing their status as a truly remarkable side by winning a fourth European crown in five seasons.
After a 4-1 first leg win in which they were utterly ruthless, Barca showed a similar cutting edge in the second leg at Stamford Bridge to win 4-1 again.
That helped them to a staggering 8-2 triumph on aggregate.
Many will have predicted Barca to go through, maybe just about and edge past a Chelsea side under Sonia Bompastor who were also hunting a quadruple and looking ready to challenge in Europe on their hunt for a first Champions League crown.
The reality however, was markedly different as Barcelona were, just as they have been over the past three years, levels above.
They made a mockery of a side that were supposed to challenge them and few would bet against them doing the same to Arsenal in the final.
They look unstoppable particularly going forward.
They have scored 44 goals in just 10 European games and have managed three or more in nine of those.
At half-time on Sunday, they had three in the first half and it was a question of how many they wanted to win by.
Aitana Bonmati started the thrashing in London, inflicting more pain on the Blues, an opponent she seems to relish playing against.
The current Ballon d’Or holder, who, on the basis of her current performances, particularly in Europe looks set to win that award for a third time later this year, strode forward unchallenged before firing beyond the despairing Hannah Hampton in the Chelsea goal.
As good as Barca were, Chelsea simply collapsed, their change of shape to try and thwart Pere Romeu’s side’s controlled possession and quick counter-attacks backfired and left them more exposed defensively.
Barca duly punished them as exhibited by the two goals they scored just before half-time.
Ewa Pajor tucked home from Caroline Graham Hansen’s cross and barely two minutes later Claudia Pina, who was so influential off the bench in the first leg, curled home a stunning strike for the post to make it 3-0 before the break.
Barcelona relentlessly pressed for more with Fridolina Rolfo and Pajor going close before Salma Paralluelo poked home an easy fourth after another Chelsea mistake at the back.
Wieke Kaptein pulled one back late in for the hosts and that can be the only slight criticism of Barca, that they couldn’t keep a clean sheet in either leg, not that they needed to after their performance in front of goal.
So, Lisbon now awaits and another English team will try and dislodge the holders from their perch after Arsenal reached their first Champions League final since 2007 after a comeback victory in the second leg against Lyon.
It promises to be an exciting game as Mariona Caldentey comes up against her old side, but in the form Barcelona one would be foolish to predict that they will not go all the way again and win the competition in style.