FC Barcelona travels to west London on Saturday as they face Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Women's Champions League.
The last time the two met was in Gothenburg for the final of the competition in 2021, where Barcelona thumped the Blues by four goals to nil.
Emma Hayes will be wanting revenge following their cup final defeat two years ago, as the trophy remains the void in her already illustrious collection. Chelsea is a side very high on confidence following their win against Aston Villa, putting them into the final of the Women's FA Cup.
Barca is also a team full of confidence - unbeaten in their last 21 games across all competitions. Their last loss came on 7th December 2022, when Bayern Munich put three goals past the former Women's Champions League winners.
Having recruited Lionesses Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze in the summer, Barcelona has added two opposition's nightmares to their team. However, Hayes possesses a handful of Lionesses that understand Walsh and Bronze's gameplan; the spaces they move into, the passes they can play, and the defensive skills they can utilise.
One thing this game will guarantee is some of the best technical and tactical strategies in women's football. With both teams coached by world-class managers, high-stakes and talented players will make for great viewing.
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Team News
Emma Hayes will want to get the better of her opponents on Saturday but faces a handful of injury problems with her squad.
Chelsea will still be without preferred centre-back duo Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan for the first leg of the semi-final. Hayes confirmed that Bright has had a "bone cartilage lesion that needed cleaning out," and that she will not be available for a handful of weeks. The Chelsea boss was slightly more reserved when speaking about Buchanan, just stating that she is "out."
Danish striker Pernille Harder was named as a substitute for the first time since the end of 2022 against Aston Villa and is confirmed to be "ready" for the game against Barcelona. Hayes did however state that they "have to respect she hasn’t played for many months, but she is ready."
The Catalan giants welcomed back two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas to training this week, after spending a year out with an ACL injury. It is unlikely Putellas will make her season debut against the Blues, but is well on her way back to first-team football.
Attacking duo Asisat Oshoala and Claudia Pina were both declared fit for the fixture, should Jonatan Giráldez want to select them in the starting line-up.
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Predicted Line-Ups
Mušović; Carter, Eriksson, Mjelde, Périsset; Cuthbert, Leupolz; Reiten, Čanković, James; Kerr.
Paños; Bronze, Paredes, León, Rolfö; Bonmati, Walsh, Guijarro; Graham Hansen, Oshoala, Paralluelo.
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Key Players
With the loss of Chelsea's two starting centre-backs, Magdalena Eriksson's presence will be vital for maintaining the side's professionalism. The skipper proved once more how much of a defensive rock she is throughout the game against Aston Villa; making numerous blocks and tackles to ensure her team progressed to the final stage of the Women's FA Cup.
Eriksson is also comfortable pushing up into the midfield areas when her team is in possession, finding the likes of Melanie Leupolz, Erin Cuthbert and Guro Reiten in positions they can then further exploit. However, she is a much more traditional defender in the way that she is strong when challenging for the ball and will throw her body on the line for her team.
Although not one of the more technically gifted players in Hayes' squad, Eriksson's experience and leadership will be crucial to Chelsea come Saturday.
FC Barcelona - Mapi León
Mapi León is a real jewel in the skeleton of this eminent Barcelona side. A defender by trade, the Spaniard is established at both centre-back and left-back, making for great versatility within Giráldez's team. She has only lost five tackles in 21 domestic league games this season, making her one of Spain's strongest defensive players.
León is world-class at playing long, grounded balls through to the frontline, sending her attacking teammates through on goal, and boasts six assists in Liga F this season. She is also more than capable of scoring from anywhere - in the air, despite standing at 5' 5, on the ground, and from both short and long distances.
León will have an important job to do on Sam Kerr on Saturday, but Barcelona will trust that there are not many better players to take on that role.
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Match Details
Where will the match be played?
The first leg of the Women's Champions League semi-finals will be played at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, in west London.
What time is the match?
The match will kick off at 12pm BST on Saturday, April 22, 2023.
How can you watch the match?
The match can be viewed across the world live on the DAZN YouTube channel, or followed via text commentary on both club's Twitter pages.