by Emmanuel Faith (20/4/24).
Above: Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert and Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati tussle for the ball. Image: UWCL
Barcelona v Chelsea
Chelsea have a major task on their hands to make the Champions League Final. Barcelona lead so many of the statistics – the highest-scoring team, average possession (63%), passing accuracy (87%), and balls recovered (407).
Whilst Chelsea found it hard going toe to toe with Barca in the semi-finals last season, Emma Hayes’ Blues can point to some impressive stats of their own. They rank second behind Barcelona in terms of possession kept (58%) and passing accuracy (83.1%). They have also made 120 tackles – the highest of the four semi-finalists, and only Barca have kept more clean sheets across the tournament than Chelsea’s three.
Where this match will be won:
While the focus might be on the attacking talents, the midfield will be pivotal to the outcome of this clash.
Barcelona plays the ball in slow build-ups, while rapidly increasing the rhythm at an unpredictable pace. When playing against a low block (which Chelsea are likely to set-up in), they overload the wings with their full-backs while letting their defensive midfielders (Walsh/Patri) sit deep to nullify any counterattack.
This system yields its results as both Bronze and Rolfo are high-scoring defenders and provide brilliant assists either in pin-point passes or precise crosses. This was how they scored their second goal in the quarter-final second leg against Brann, as well as successes during the emphatic victory against Rosengård earlier in the competition.
Against Barcelona, Chelsea will focus on disrupting the Catalans’ rhythm and hitting on the counter. Midfielders like Cuthbert and Nusken who are not afraid of challenging for every 50-50 tackle and contest for second balls will be vital. To win a tackle and hit on the counter will be a key element of the West London side’s plan.
Barcelona could well find their defence under pressure as Chelsea attackers like Lauren James, Guro Reiten, and Johanna Rytting Kaynard will relish going against and getting the better of Lucy Bronze and Fridolina Rolfo. Cuthbert in particular has a track record of besting Bronze consistently over 90 minutes.
Barcelona often gets exposed when they overload the opponent, and both Brann and Benfica were able to exploit this weakness when they met at different intervals. Jessica Silva’s goal and Marie Alidou’s brilliant assist are cases in point.
Olympique Lyonnais v Paris St. Germain
Lyon have looked like an improved side since the return of Delphine Cascarino who has struck a brilliant partnership with compatriots Kadidiatou Diani and Eugenie Le Sommer.
Lindsey Horan has continuously improved her game, thanks to her relatively free role that allows her to dictate the pace of the game or occupy the opponent’s box depending on the situation, while Ellie Carpenter has stepped up her ability in aerial duels, ball playing abilities, and defensive awareness across the pitch.
Vicky Becho and Melchei Dumornay are bar-raisers every time they come off the bench, as Becho’s ambidextrous abilities make her unpredictable when dribbling and Dumornay’s physicality augments her tricky and shot fire-power to make her a perfect substitute for Hegerberg or Le Sommer.
They have had the highest number of attempts on goal this season (213) and it shows how ambitious they are attacking-wise.
For PSG, Tabitha Chawinga has been golden. The Malawian striker who leads the ranks of the highest goals and assists in D1 Arkema has been one of the most dangerous players in Europe this season. With a speed of 33.1 km/hr, she is the fastest player on the continent right now, and she is able to cause havoc to any defence with her dribbling skills. She has scored 12 goals in her last nine matches and will fancy adding to her tally over both legs.
While PSG haven’t been outstanding in the UWCL this season, Chawinga’s partnership with Katoto is becoming more productive and might be crucial to the output of this match.
Where the game will be won:
When two teams have brilliant full-backs like Sakina Karchaoui and Selma Bacha, brilliant wingers like Kadidiatou Diani and Tabitha Chawinga, you can predict one thing: there will be a lot of action on the flanks.
Both teams possess players that can change the game’s trajectory with a pin-point pass, a brilliant strike, or a rocket shot fired from anywhere on the field but both wingers and full-backs will have a lot of say in the outcome of the match.
Lyon plays with their wingers and full-backs, while optimising their midfield against opponents who defend in low blocks. Selma Bacha and Ellie Carpenter often double up to support the wingers up front, while Kadidiatou’s individual pace and brilliance is often crucial to breaking down the opponent’s defence.
PSG play balls through the midfield or over the top of the opponent, leveraging the pace of Tabitha Chawinga and Sandy Baltimore to create chances for their striker.
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