Barcelona Women Secure 4-1 Victory Over Chelsea, Advance to Champions League Final

Barcelona took a commanding 4-1 lead over Chelsea in the first leg of the Women’s Champions League semi-final, putting themselves in a strong position to reach the final in Lisbon. Despite Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas missing an early penalty, Ewa Pajor opened the scoring, and substitute Claudia Pina made a major impact with two late goals. Chelsea briefly narrowed the gap with a goal from Sandy Baltimore, but Irene Paredes restored Barca's advantage with a powerful header before Pina added a fourth. Barcelona’s midfield dominance and attacking depth were evident as they outclassed the English side, who now face an uphill battle in the return leg at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea, despite some early promise and a recent history of comeback wins, struggled to create meaningful attacks and will need a significant turnaround to advance. The result underscores Barcelona's status as reigning champions and favorites for another title.