Chelsea manager Bompastor set for ‘biggest challenge’ of career

Chelsea vs. Barcelona: Uefa Women’s Champions League

Stamford Bridge Date: Sunday, April 27th, 2019 Kick-off: 00 BST

Chelsea’s Women’s Champions League semifinal against Barcelona will be Sonia Bompastor’s “biggest challenge,” according to the actress.

After falling 4-1 in the first leg, Chelsea must overcome a three-goal deficit when the team square off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

When Barcelona equaled their lead in the 74th minute with Sandy Baltimore’s strike, the Blues looked to have kept themselves in the tie, but they conceded twice in the final ten minutes, putting their hopes of a quadruple dream and their first European title at risk.

Bompastor, who guided Lyon to a 3-1 victory in the 2021-22 final, is familiar with defeating Barcelona, but she acknowledges that their team must face “one of the best teams in Europe.”

We just defeated Barcelona in the final when I was [Lyon] manager in 2022, which was a huge challenge, but I believe this will be the biggest managerial decision of my career.

“We need to turn the three goals up,” he said, adding that, in addition, the game is being played against one of Europe’s best teams, if not the best. It will be challenging.

Chelsea only had lost once this season before Sunday’s defeat at Barcelona.

However, Millie Bright believes that their experience will be good for Sunday given that Bompastor’s side are not used to losing, but they did overcome a two-goal deficit to defeat Manchester City in the quarter-finals.

It’s confidence, just reflecting on how well we played City at the Bridge and how well we did it, especially in the opening 45 minutes. More than 3-0, according to Bright, would have been possible.

After overcoming Crystal Palace 4-0 in the opening game of the second leg, Bompastor appealed to her players to show a response to Sunday’s defeat.

However, Anita Asante, a former Arsenal player, believes that reversing Barcelona’s lead is “one step too far.”

“Chelsea have experienced players who have won the Champions League along with Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh, and the manager herself,” the manager said. They will have to carry that conviction because, she said, “they’re going to need to give it that much to give them the energy and intensity.”

Barcelona’s recent performance really showed that they are the [defending] champions for a reason.

Ellen White, a former England international, stated that preventing Barcelona’s attacking threats will be a challenge for Chelsea.

She told the Women’s Football Weekly on BBC 5 Live Sport, “It’s an uphill battle.” I believe I would laugh if you returned to Stamford Bridge with a score of 2-1. ]But] 4-1 is a lot.

“Chelsea can sort a lot of goals, but they can’t concede,” he said. Barcelona will create goals. It’s in their locker, they claim. Whether [Chelsea] can concede enough goals against Barcelona. They might be able to do that, I’m not entirely sure.