Women’s Champions League

LUCY BRONZE aims to return to fitness as swiftly as possible after her knee operation before Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final clash against Chelsea.Keyhole surgery on the England full-back’s right knee will see her miss her club’s second leg duel at Camp Nou on Thursday.
Lucy Bronze will be out of action for the Women’s Champions League semi’s decider between Barcelona and ChelseaCredit: Getty
The England ace went off injury during the second half of Barca’s 1-0 defeat of Chelsea in their first-leg clashCredit: PA
Barcelona boss Jonatan Giraldez says the full-back has undergone a small operationCredit: Alamy
The operation followed the Lioness star hobbling off during the Catalan giant’s 1-0 defeat of the Blues at Stamford Bridge. 
The Barca defender, 31, came off in the 67th minute of the duel.
She was later spotted sat on the bench with an ice pack on her right leg during the game. 
In an update shared via her Instagram page, Bronze, wrote: “In very good spirits after my knee op yesterday. 

“It’s never easy being sidelined, but I’m as focused as ever to work hard and return to full fitness, hopefully as soon as possible. 
“Thank you to everyone for all of your kind messages already! I couldn’t ask for better support, so thank you
“The hard work has already started already can’t wait to be back on the pitch with this team.”
Bronze injury will no doubt come as a concern to England boss Sarina Wiegman as well as her club.
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The Lionesses are contending with injuries to a number of key players ahead of this summer’s World Cup. 
Skipper Leah Williamson and Beth Mead are currently sidelined due to ACL ruptures while Fran Kirby has been out of action since February. 
And Chelsea’s Millie Bright is out for weeks for following a cleanout procedure of a knee cartilage lesion. 
It is thought Bronze is likely to be absent from action for a few weeks. 
Barcelona boss Jonatan Giraldez told reporters: “She had a blockage in her knee. We decided she should have a small operation. 
Alexia Putellas could be set to make her return to action for Barcelona after being out of action with an ACL injury since last summerCredit: Alamy
“It’s a tiny intervention (she will be out for) just a couple of weeks.” 
Tomorrow’s game could see Alexia Putellas make her highly-anticipated return from an ACL injury. 
The Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder has been out of action since last July when she sustained a knee ligament injury.  More

LUCY BRONZE gave England fans the jitters after going off injured during Barcelona’s 1-0 defeat of Chelsea in the Women’s Champions League semis.The full-back, 31, sparked concern after she dropped to the turf clutching her knee in the game’s second spell.
Lucy Bronze appeared to be struggling with a knee issue during Barcelona’s win against Chelsea in the Champions LeagueCredit: PA
The Barca and England full-back limped off with 23 minutes of normal time left in the game at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty
Caroline Graham Hansen’s first-half rocket shot saw Barcelona seal a first leg semi-final away winCredit: Getty
The worrying moment came a day after national team-mate Leah Williamson saw her season ended early by an anterior cruciate ligament injury. 
Bronze was substituted swiftly after receiving treatment from her club’s physios for an issue with her right knee. 
And the Lioness was spotted with an ice pack on her knee after limping off in the 67th minute of the clash played in front of a 27,697-strong crowd at Stamford Bridge.
But Barca boss Jonathan Giraldez suggested the issue does not appear to be serious. 
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He said: “She felt something in her knee, but in the end it was normal and she’s fine.
“In the moment we made the substitution it was because the feeling she had was bad. But now the feeling she has is really good. 
The last clash between the teams saw Chelsea beaten in the Champions League final back in May 2021.
They were blown away in a thirty-six minute four-goal blitz with Caroline Graham Hansen among the Catalan giants’ biggest threats. 
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And she was Chelsea’s nemesis once again as Barcelona drew first blood in the semis first-leg battle.
The Norway forward gave the visitors a fourth-minute lead with a thunderbolt finish after being given too much space to fire. 
The visitors saw a chance to double their lead denied with Ann-Katrin Berger’s save of Geyse’s shot before Guro Reiten saw a goal ruled offside with 25 minutes gone. 
And the Blues forward had a glorious opportunity to level with her angled shot in the box cleared off target by Bronze. 
The second spell saw Hayes ring some changes with Lauren James among the substitutes introduced in this period and she saw an effort saved with 39 minutes of normal time left. 
And Ann-Katrin Berger pulled off a stunning late save to deny Fridolina Rolfo with Chelsea needing to overcome a 1-0 deficit at Camp Nou this Thursday. 
Blues boss Hayes said: “I wanted to be in the tie and we’re in the tie. Now we have to prepare again for another game.
Emma Hayes says her team must be prepared to suffer in order to overcome Barcelona at Camp Nou next ThursdayCredit: PA
“Their whole team is phenomenal. 
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You have to suffer. You will be without the ball. One switch off and positional error cost us the goal.
“I think we limited them to as few chances as we possibly could and I’ll take that going into the next game.” More

EMMA HAYES warns her Chelsea stars must be prepared to suffer in their bid to brush aside Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League. Her WSL titans will be targeting a Stamford Bridge win when they face Spain’s top tier leaders in a crucial first-leg semis duel. 
Chelsea hope to pull off their first ever Women’s Champions League semis defeat of BarcelonaCredit: Reuters
Emma Hayes’ team are set to play Spain’s league leaders in front of an estimated 25,000-strong crowd at Stamford BridgeCredit: Reuters
Hayes says her side will need to play a perfect gameCredit: Reuters
The Blues chief, 45, said: “It will be tough and we have to play a perfect game. 
“We have to execute at both ends of the pitch to give ourselves the best possible chance.
“We have the advantage of being at home but we have as much possibility as we have ever had of qualifying for a final. 
“My message to the players is to give absolutely everything you can to doing that knowing that a final is at stake. 
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“We are a team that are used to struggling, we know how to suffer and we’re going to have to do that for much of the game.
“But we have a team that is ready to perform.”
The last clash between the sides in the 2021 final saw Chelsea fall to a 4-0 defeat.
Magda Eriksson, who played in that game, says the Blues are ready to rise to the challenge of stunning their rivals.
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And in the lead up to this game the Blues have registered impressive results in Europe this term
These include a quarter-final knockout of eight-time Champions League winners Lyon.
Magda Eriksson says Chelsea are ready for the challenge posed by BarcelonaCredit: Getty
The Chelsea captain said: “Of course the final loss a couple of years ago motivates us, but just the fact we can reach the final is motivation enough. 
“The girls have had a really good training week.  
“We can sense there is something special and the team is very, very together and ready for this challenge.
Chelsea vs Barcelona can be watched live via DAZN’s YouTube channel at 12:30 pm today More

KEIRA WALSH is out to prevent a historic first all-English Women’s Champions League final when Barcelona face Chelsea.Today’s lunchtime clash will be the Barca star’s maiden club match on home soil since her world-record transfer from Manchester City last summer.
Keira Walsh says she has become more “streetwise” on the pitch following her move to BarcelonaCredit: Getty
Walsh and her Barca team-mates have won all 25 of the games they have played so far in Spain’s top tierCredit: Getty
Today’s match at Stamford Bridge could see Lucy Bronze in action for the LaLiga Women’s leadersCredit: Alamy
Walsh and Lucy Bronze could be set to play at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League semis clash with the Blues.
The match comes almost a month after Chelsea’s dramatic defeat of record contest winners Lyon on penalties. 
Meanwhile, Arsenal visit German side Wolfsburg tomorrow in the first leg of their semi-final
Walsh said: “I’ve not played in a Champions League semi-final for a long time so on a personal note, it is really exciting. 
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“Although it would be good for English women’s football if there were two English teams in the final, Lucy and me will be trying our best to prevent that from happening. 
“We’re playing for Barcelona and with the kind of objectives we have here, we want to be in that game (the final).
“Playing in these sorts of games is what you want and it’s the reason why I signed for Barcelona.”
The last time the football titans went toe-to-toe was in May 2021 when Chelsea fell to a heavy 4-0 Champions League final loss. 
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However both sides have seen a number of players depart and arrive.
These include Lauren James who has emerged as one of the Blues’ most formidable forwards since her July 2021 move from Manchester United.  
Walsh added: “The girls will take confidence from the experience they had in the last final. 
“They played really well, scored a lot of goals and created chances so they can draw on that experience
“But it is two completely different teams this time around and a lot of different players for both sets of team. In that sense, it is a new challenge.
“We’ve been preparing for this the whole week. 
“People look at our scorelines in the Spanish league and think that the games aren’t that competitive
“But in our first half against Atletico Madrid last weekend it wasn’t an easy game. 
“It was man for man and it was hard to try to figure it out (to break them down) until the second half (of our 4-0 win). 
“I think those sorts of games are competitive so they do prepare you.”
Today’s clash will be followed by a second-leg duel on Thursday night at Spotify Camp Nou. 
Chelsea will be aiming to stop Walsh and Patri Guijarro taking control in midfieldCredit: Alamy
And it could see Walsh pulling the strings alongside midfield stars Aitana Bonmati and Patri Guijarro.
She added: “One thing they’ve really pushed me on here is being more aggressive and being a bit more streetwise in terms of when to make fouls and let play carry on. 
“For me, that’s a side that I’ve really improved on and something that Jonatan (Giraldez – Barcelona’s head coach) spoke to me about. 
“I also combine a lot more in midfield.
At Manchester City we’d like to keep possession and keep the ball, but it wasn’t necessarily a lot of short passes in the midfield.
Barcelona lifted their first Women’s Champions League trophy when they beat Chelsea in the final in May 2021Credit: AP
“It was a case of getting the ball wide to the wingers.

“But they always want me to try and find Patri and Aitana and play short passes. a
“I feel like I’ve improved defensively and become a bit more aggressive.” More

JONAS EIDEVALL hopes the “drama and entertainment” of the WSL attracts more financial backing for the division in future.And the Arsenal boss is relishing the challenge facing his aces when they take on Manchester City this afternoon. 
Arsenal hope to follow their defeat of Bayern Munich in Europe with a win against Man City in the WSLCredit: Getty
Jonas Eidevall believes the drama and competitiveness of the WSL gives the league an edgeCredit: PA
The last WSL meeting between the Gunners and Man City ended in a 2-1 win for the CitizensCredit: Alamy
Eidevall was sharing his thoughts on the WSL following the Gunners and Chelsea reaching the Champions League semis before his side’s clash with City later.
The lunchtime duel comes days after the London rivals’ dramatic defeats of Bayern Munich and Lyon. 
When asked what those results suggest about the strength of the league, the Arsenal chief said: “It says a lot. 
“We have Manchester United and Manchester City, who have played incredibly well so far this season.
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“They also have the quality to go very far in Europe.”
Eidevall’s remarks coincided with the FA revealing 500,000 fans have attended WSL games so far this season. 
The Gunners gaffer added: “We’re playing a lot of games (in the WSL), that are really challenging.
“You see a team like Aston Villa and the football that they are producing – it’s amazing and a really high level football.’
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“To speak of only four (WSL teams) might be a mistake. There will be more clubs coming (through). 
“This will be the strength for the league.
“This is what no other European country will have at this moment – a league that can have so much competition, so much drama and so much entertainment in it.
“Hopefully that can be a real driving force for financial investment to get the best players in Europe coming here to play in England.”
Arsenal have won just one of their last six WSL meetings with Manchester City with their rivals winning four of those matches. 
While the Gunners defeated their opponents on their way to league cup triumph this year, City avenged that loss with a 2-1 win in the WSL in February.
The Arsenal chief added: “I see them as a very strong team. 
“They’re very organised both on and off the ball with a very clear idea of how they want to execute (their gameplan) 
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of us playing against this strong team.”
Today’s clash could see Steph Houghton make her ninth WSL appearance this term.
Steph Houghton was among Man City’s standout performers in their wins against the Gunners and Chelsea earlier this yearCredit: Getty
And Taylor believes the City skipper is hitting fine form for his side.
The Citizens boss said “Steph has performed really well in this period for us.
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“I think she’s playing some of her best football that we’ve seen. Her leadership qualities are huge.”
Arsenal vs Manchester City will be aired live from 12:30pm on BBC Two and streamed live via BBC iPlayer today. More

EMMA HAYES was left “relieved and exhausted” by the dramatic penalty shootout that saw Chelsea reach the Women’s Champions League semi-finals.  The Blues boss hailed Maren Mjelde and Ann-Katrin Berger after her side defeated Lyon in an intense Stamford Bridge encounter. 
Maren Mjelde converted two spot-kicks in a matter of minutes for Chelsea against LyonCredit: Getty
Ann-Katrin Berger saved Wendi Renard’s and Lindsey Horan’s spot-kicks in a dramatic penalty shootoutCredit: Getty
Chelsea are set to face Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
Berger sent Chelsea fans into delirium after pulling off two shootout saves late on Thursday evening during an intense quarter-final decider.
Her side’s European run looked to be over with Lyon leading 2-1 on aggregate with the Blues having won the first leg 1-0 in France. 
But they were awarded a penalty in extra time (in the 124th minute following a VAR check for a foul on James in the box much to Lyon’s dismay. 
And Mjelde coolly converted to take the clash to a shootout with the Norway ace later netting the first spot-kick. 
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Chelsea went on to win 4-3 on pens to enter semi-finals alongside Wolfsburg, Barcelona and WSL rivals Arsenal. 
Hayes, whose team will play Barcelona in the semis, said: “We’ve never won a penalty shootout as a team so can you imagine what was going through my mind.
“I had to be conscious that the penalty takers were [still] on the pitch as I didn’t see a goal in us to be honest.
“When I saw Lyon’s substitutes coming off the bench – one after another, all world-class talents – I felt we dealt with it well.
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“It was the most character-building performance, even if it was the ugliest.”
Of Berger and Mjelde’s efforts, Hayes added: “Ann-Katrin is probably the best penalty saving goalkeeper I’ve ever worked with.
“I felt really confident going into the penalty shootout, even if I didn’t look it. 
“Every day [in training] everyone always hates going up against her. 
“For Maren to do what she did when it was the last kick of the game, when she had to place the ball three times, she’s a Chelsea legend.  
“She deserves her night as much as Ann-Katrin does, because we know what she’s like from penalties. 
“I knew that if we got to that situation momentum would turn and it was drama. I’m relieved and exhausted.
The hosts, watched by Graham Potter, Reece James and Marc Cucurella came close to sharing a goalless normal time draw that would have seen them through.
After an early wobble with Ann-Katrin Berger spilling the ball after Delphine Cascarino’s rifled  third-minute shot they held their own
And Lauren James forced a flying save from goalkeeper Christiane Endler in the 24th minute.
The second spell saw the visitors ring the changes with Ada Hegerberg and Dabritz coming on Signe Bruun and Damaris Egurrola. 
And Chelsea made some switches of their own including Sophie Ingle coming on for Melanie Leupolz.
The Blues midfielder suffered a bloodied nose after being elbowed in the face during an aerial duel. 
Berger’s save of Lindsey Horan’s spot-kick sealed Chelsea’s quarter-final win against LyonCredit: Getty
Vanessa Gilles gave Lyon a 1-0 lead after netting from a tight angle in the 76th minute.
And Sarah Dabritz made it 2-0 (and 2-1 on aggregate) with her extra time bottom corner strike, 
A VAR check by ref Ivana Martinic saw the hosts win a pen in extra time with Lauren James adjudged to have been brought down in the box by Vicky Becho. 
Mjelde coolly slammed her spot-kick home to take the clash to a nerve-wracking  shootout with Hayes geeing up the home crowd. 
Mjelde, Sam Kerr and Jessie Fleming netted the Blues’ opening three pens with Dzsenifer Marozan and Ada Hegerberg scoring for Lyon. 
But Wendi Renard saw Berger save her effort while Endler kept out James’ shot. 
Jess Carter stepped up to make it 4-3 to Chelsea before Berger saved Lindsey Horan’s shot to seal a famous win. 
Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor was left frustrated by the result and the ref opting to award Chelsea a late pen
Sonia Bompastor hailed her side for “playing with their hearts” following their loss to ChelseaCredit: Getty
The head coach said: “I still feel it wasn’t a penalty and the wrong decision has been made overall.
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“My girls played with their hearts.
“To be a side capable of being 2-0 up with very little time left at a place like Stamford Bridge shows what a good performance it was.” More

MAGDA ERIKSSON says Chelsea cannot dwell on their loss to Manchester City before their decisive Champions League battle with Lyon. The Blues captain, 29, is up for the challenge of taking on Ada Hegerberg should she feature in the clash at Stamford Bridge. 
A win against Lyon would see Chelsea join Arsenal in the Women’s Champions League semi-finalsCredit: Getty
Magda Eriksson are unbeaten in the competition so far this seasonCredit: Getty
Emma Hayes wants Eriksson and her team-mates to impose themselves on LyonCredit: Getty
Tonight the WSL champs face the French side in the quarter-final second leg of the tournament, four days after losing to City in the top tier. 
Eriksson, whose team secured a 1-0 first leg win in France, said: “We’re very experienced with having games back-to-back so we know we can’t dwell too long on defeats.
“We’ve looked at it, we’ve talked about it, dealt with it and learned from it. Now we’ve moved on and now we’re ready for this game.”
Last Wednesday’s first leg saw Bright hobble off the pitch before half-time. 
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And Emma Hayes was tightlipped on the availability of her vice-captain for tonight’s game. 
The Chelsea chief said on Wednesday: “Millie was the only player we trained without.
“We’re maximising as much time as we can but she wasn’t in training.”
The game at Stamford Bridge could see Lyon striker Hegerberg make her long-awaited return to action from injury. 
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The Norway ace netted in last May’s final with Lyon lifting their eighth Champions League trophy after beating Barcelona 3-1. 
The striker is currently the tournament’s all-time top scorer.
On the task of attempting to thwart Hegerberg, Eriksson added: “I’m here for it. It’s going to be a great challenge. 
“Domestically, almost on a weekly basis, we play against some of the best strikers in the world so we’re prepared for it.
“We have to show it on the pitch and show the Chelsea mentality that we know we have.
Hayes added: “We have to be brave. You have to appreciate their record speaks for itself.
“It’s important for us as a team to impose ourselves, be aggressive in the right moments and be positive in everything that we do.
“The opportunity is there in front of us and I know the entire dressing room is very much looking forward to it.”
This evening’s fixture could see the 2021 Champions League finalists pull in one of their highest match attendances this season.
A crowd of 17,000 is expected at the game. 
Head coach Sonia Bompastor wants to steer Lyon to a ninth Champions League crown ten years after lifting the trophy as team captainCredit: Reuters
Eriksson said: “The crowd and the team feed off each other, we love our fans and they mean so much to us.

“It means a lot that we get to have this game at Stamford Bridge.
“We’ve had some good experiences there. We’ll have that in front of our minds when we go out on the pitch.” More