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Sophie Lawson reacts to Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Barcelona in the first leg of the Women’s Champions League semi-final. (2:18)
As domestic leagues begin to play across Europe and some groups move closer to the silver medal in cup competitions, the main focus of the weekend is the first legs of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals.
– Stream on ESPN: NWSL, LaLiga, Bundesliga, (US)
Barcelona, the Champions League champions and heavy favourites to retain their crown this season, were stopped in their tracks on Saturday by an impressive Chelsea side who emerged from the first leg of the semi-finals in Spain with a huge 1-0 win thanks to Erin. Cuthbert’s goal in the first half.
Emma Hayes’ side took advantage of every moment of their experience to tip the scales in their favour as their five defenders obstructed the final third and pressed hard all over the pitch. But instead of rising to the occasion, Barca turned their attention to putting one of their worst performances in recent memory.
Barcelona had been unbeaten at home for five years and the last time they failed to score was in April 2022. But world-class stars such as Caroline Graham Hansen and Keira Walsh disappeared and Barça’s game was characterised by a last-minute performance from Alexia Putellas. the center of the box, which the two-time Ballon d’Or winner controlled to cut wide. Such intellectual capitulation is a far cry from the team Barcelona played for, but there’s nothing they can do, as Hayes’ side had one of their most productive games of what has been a questionable season so far.
Barcelona have reached the UWCL final in 4 of the last five seasons, but they will take on the unfamiliar role of underdogs as they try to do so next week in London.
Trailing 2-0, thanks to a brace from Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Paris Saint-Germain headed for Lyon in the 79th minute. Their game plan worked perfectly, but in their third game against Lyon this season, coach Jocelyn Prêcheur was naïve. It wasn’t just a Women’s Division 1 game, it was the Champions League semi-finals, something eight-time champions Lyon know well. And when the Fenottes get close enough to spice it up at the end, they seem to find another gear.
PSG dug deep, provoking pressure from the hosts, and three goals in six minutes saw Lyon turn the deficit into a 3-2 merit thanks to clever substitutes from Sonia Bompastor and goals from Kadidiatou Diani, Melchie Dumornay and Amel Majri.
Earlier in the day, it looked like Barcelona had reverted to an old version of themselves opposed to Chelsea and the same can be said for PSG, who were struggling to show their joy and needed to beat Lyon. It’s a total disappearance of his own volition, however, the way it happened makes a possible return to his country even less likely.
Sophie Lawson reacts to Lyon’s 3-2 win over PSG in the Women’s Champions League in which they scored 3 goals in six minutes to claim victory.
While Chelsea were busy with European football, Manchester City saw the best opportunity to make an attempt in the Women’s Super League title race, and that’s precisely what they did. After playing one more game, City moved 3 transparent points at most. sensible in the table after a clinical, ruthless 5-0 win over West Ham United. But it was their frenetic start, with Leila Ouahabi scoring in under 24 minutes and Khadija “Bunny” Shaw adding a moment in the fourth minute, that orchestrated the best demolition job.
Every goal counts in a race for a name as close as this one and if either of them wins the remaining games, it will all come down to the all-important goal difference. Extending their score to 3 over the Blues, it puts pressure on Hayes’ side to produce surprising performances in the remaining 4 games.
City’s declaration of dominance over West Ham will ease the tension now that they have returned to showcasing Champions League football after missing out last season. All that’s left is to try and earn a top name in the WSL since 2016. -Emily Keogh
With Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United heading to Wembley next month for the FA Cup final, this WSL match is an opportunity for everyone to be informed about their conflicting parties and, in particular, for Spurs to perceive how to play without Grace Clinton.
Clinton may not be eligible to face her parent club when Spurs make their first appearance in the FA Cup final, but she has arguably been their most important player this season as a lot goes through midfield. And the last time Spurs met, United were without the 21-year-old and were beaten 4-0.
But Spurs boss Robert Vilahamn would possibly have an idea of how to play without Clinton now, as his side were cruelly denied their first win over United when Maya le Tissier equalised in stoppage time. Spurs had come back after Melvine Malard had given United the lead, with two goals in 3 minutes from Bethany England and Jessica Naz, but were denied to the death and finished 2-2.
Still, it’s a marked improvement over the first assembly of the season and would have provided key insights on how to mitigate United’s threats, capitalise on their weaknesses and, most importantly, set themselves up for victory without Clinton.
Emily Fox has had several months to adjust to life in the WSL and has probably gotten used to it like a duck in water. After impressing in the Conti Cup final and winning the Matcha Women’s Player award in the WSL’s win over Liverpool, Fox has shown her athleticism and skill in recent weeks and the USWNT defender put in a five-star performance in Arsenal’s 3-0 thrashing of Leicester City.
The right-back used her speed and burgeoning partnership with centre-back Leah Williamson to dictate the shot from behind, and nearly scored her first WSL goal after turning to aim from the edge of the box, only to be denied by an acrobatic save. by Lize Kop.
If her immediate adaptation to the WSL is any indication of the longevity of her talent, Fox will be one of Arsenal’s most reliable players next season. Six issues off the peak, and UWCL football has proven it, the club’s name aspirations next year will be to be higher than ever.
After succumbing to a Roma goal last Monday, Juventus needed to win against Sassuolo to keep their narrow Serie A name hopes alive. And, by squandering a goal just before the hour mark, it looked like the Bianconere’s unforgettable season was coming. to an early end.
However, the hosts managed a 2-1 victory, with Lisa Boattin’s adorable free-kick cancelling out Chiara Beccari’s opener before Paulina Nystrom sent home the winner from a corner. It’s the kind of fight that Juventus have lacked this season, as they are nine. They are moving away from the top position with 4 games to play, but they still do not have a permanent coach after the departure of Joe Montemurro and their overall control continues to raise doubts.
The win, combined with Roma’s 0-0 draw (the first of the season in the league) against Fiorentina later on Saturday, postponed the celebration of the Giallorosse’s name, but that delays the inevitable.
While the Frauen-Bundesliga name is expected to end up at Bayern Munich or Wolfsburg, the race continues between Eintracht Frankfurt and Hoffenheim to see who can claim third place in the Champions League.
After taking the lead last month, Hoffenheim’s 2-1 loss to Essen saw the Eagles return to third place thanks to their 4-1 win over Nurnburg, and now only one point separates the two teams heading into the final 3. matches of the competición. la season.
Hoffenheim were leading but Benke Sterner equalised in the 88th minute and two minutes later Natasha Kowalski’s penalty sent the ball back into Eintracht’s half.