By Ian Chadband
Sam Kerr’s dream of winning the one title that has eluded her at Chelsea is over for another year, shattered in the Camp Nou despite the Blues’ courageous 1-1 draw with brilliant Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League semi-final.
The master finisher didn’t get on the scoresheet for a change but Kerr was instrumental in Chelsea’s second-half equaliser which got the English champions back into the game in the 67th minute just three minutes after Barca had gone ahead.
But leading 1-0 from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Barcelona, roared on by a home crowd of about 70,000 at their Camp Nou citadel, were able to see out a deserved triumph on Thursday (Friday AEST), prevailing 2-1 on aggregate to reach the final of Europe’s biggest club tournament for the third season running.
They will play Arsenal, who have Kerr’s fellow Matildas Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley in their ranks, or Wolfsburg, who are locked at 2-2 after the first leg of their semi in Germany.
The second leg will be in London on Monday, with the final to be played in Eindhoven on June 3.
Kerr had hoped to book that date in the Netherlands but got few chances to demonstrate her prowess with Barcelona dominating most of the first-half possession even though it came to surprisingly little.
Europe’s biggest prize is the one trophy that has eluded Sam Kerr at Chelsea.Credit: AP
The Matildas captain barely got a look in before the break but as Chelsea began to throw caution to the wind in the second half, she became more involved before Norwegian Caroline Graham Hansen, the tie’s outstanding player who had already had a goal ruled out for handball in the first half, struck for Barca.
The striker, who had also scored Barca’s winner at Stamford Bridge, finished off a deadly counter-attack after being put through brilliantly by the stellar midfielder Aitana Bonmati.
But Chelsea were stung into life, Kerr being given her first sniff of goal with a lovely dinked through-ball from Melanie Leupolz putting her one-on-one with goalkeeper Sandra Panos.
Though the Australian was denied at close quarters by a fine sprawling stop by Panos, the ball fell straight to Guro Reiten, who buried the equaliser.
About 70,000 fans were on hand at Barcelona’s fortress to see their team advanced to a third straight Champions League final.Credit: Getty
Kerr then got another good look in the 74th minute, but her goal-bound effort in the box this time was well blocked by defender Irene Paredes. Her last meaningful contribution, a fine cross from the left, then just eluded Reiten.
“I can’t ask any more of our players. I said to them that they should all be proud to be Chelsea, because the better team lost tonight,” said Chelsea boss Emma Hayes.
“It wasn’t quite enough and I’m stood here now just absolutely gutted to be totally honest.”
The latest defeat to Barcelona — Chelsea were hammered 4-0 in the final by the Catalans two years ago — means they’ll now have to concentrate on domestic matters, seeking to retain their Women’s Super League and FA Cup crowns.
Scant consolation for Kerr and her teammates was that they were the first to hold Barcelona on their own turf for over four years, and the first to do so in the Champions League since Lyon back in 2018. But Barcelona, who had Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas back on the bench after 10 months out injured, will take all the beating as they seek to regain the crown they lost to Lyon last season.
AAP
