Chelsea 0-2 FC Barcelona: Culer pride earns another final

London is blaugrana! Barça have qualified for yet another Champions League Final, and that was after the shock of losing the first leg at home. They righted all the wrongs against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to win 2-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate and earn a place in the Bilbao final next May 25, the fifth final in six years and the fourth in a row. A third UWCL title beckons, with just Olympique Lyon or Paris Saint Germain now standing in their way. 

Aitana the flagbearer

The home side were mainly intent on protecting their first leg lead, and they held out well against the blaugrana onslaught. But when you have not just the current Ballon d'Or but now also a Laureus winner in your side, you always have an added edge going forward. Barça were always threatening to score and when they did it was fitting that Aitana should be the one to do it with a delightful angled shot to brighten the evening under the London rain. 

Chelsea were no longer quite so comfortable sitting back, and it was time for Cata Coll to start showing off her goalkeeping skills. Chelsea were threatening, but were unable to convert their chances, and the solid Barça defending had a lot to do with that.

Red card bonus

The result was still very much up in the air at this point, but the game changing moment came when Chelsea's Buchanan picked up two yellow cards within the space of just a few minutes. All of a sudden, with an extra pair of legs on the field, things were looking very good indeed.

Barça were now all-out attack, and a second goal always looked inevitable. And it was Aitana Bonmatí again who earned it as she was charging through on goal only to be brought down by a hand on her back. The referee pointed at the spot, VAR confirmed that the decision was the right one, and Rolfö stepped up to do the honours and score the goal that has sent Barça to Bilbao.

That wasn't without out much tension and nerves towards the end as Chelsea, buoyed by the partisan crowd, surged firth in search of a miracle. They didn't get it, and this brilliant Barça side is going where it deserves to be. The Champions League final, no less! And we can't wait!

MATCH STATS

Chelsea, 0
Barça, 2

Chelsea: Hampton, Carter, Buchanan, Charles, Cuthbert, Leupolz (Jones, min 76), Nüsken, Kaneryd (Bright, min 84), Lawrence (Ève, min 84), James (Kirby, min 84) i Macario (Reiten, min 63)
Barça: Cata Coll, Rolfö, Engen, Paredes, Ona (Mariona, min 66), Bronze, Patri Guijarro, Walsh, Aitana (Aleixa, min 92), Salma i Graham Hansen (Pina, min 86)

Goals: 0-1, Aitana (min 25); 0-2, Rolfö (min 75) (penal)

Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu. Yellow cards for Chelsea's Buchanan (min 54 & min 59) and Charles (min 87)