Barcelona 2-1 Paris: Martens double clinches final berth for Barça
Sunday 2 May 2021
Barcelona are through to their second final after Lieke Martens struck twice in a 2-1 win against Paris.
Two first-half goals from Lieke Martens proved the difference as Barcelona saw off Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 at home and 3-2 on aggregate to reach their second UEFA Women's Champions League final .
Match in brief
Barcelona needed less than eight minutes to take the lead, and their opener was a goal of exquisite quality.
First, Leila Ouahabi strode forward and picked out Lieke Martens, but the Barça forward still had plenty to do, gliding into the area from the left and curling a superb effort beyond Christiane Endler and high into the far corner.
The Dutch striker had a simpler task for their second on 31 minutes, lashing the ball into the net from close range after excellent work by Caroline Graham Hansen down the right.
The Paris players immediately huddled together on the pitch to rally – and their response was swift, Marie-Antoinette Katoto steering in following a goal-mouth scramble from a corner.
The visitors began the second half in determined mood as well, though it took until close for the hour mark for Barcelona goalkeeper Sandra Paños to be truly tested as she batted away a Ramona Bachmann shot.
Barça's threat had not been extinguished, however, with Jennifer Hermoso striking a post and Marta Torrejón looping a header onto the crossbar. Ultimately, they had already done enough to reach their second final and will be hoping for a better outcome than their loss to Lyon in the 2019 showpiece.
Key player: Lieke Martens
Who else but Barça's two-goal hero? Martens was in the right place at the right time when it mattered, producing a wonderful finish for the first and showing great anticipation to get in position for the second. The hosts had outstanding performers across the pitch – notably Hermoso and Graham Hansen – but Martens was a level above.
Reaction
Lluís Cortés, Barcelona coach: "Two years ago, in Budapest, we went to really live the experience of our first Champions League final, but this time we are going to Gothenburg to win."
Aitana Bonmati, Barcelona midfielder: "We deserve this victory and I'm proud of my team. We are all convinced that this will be our year and we'll go to Sweden fully focused on winning."
Key stats
• Barcelona's win was their first against Paris in six UEFA Women's Champions League matches – and the first time they have scored twice against the French side.
• Martens has struck five goals in her last five games for Barcelona in all competitions.
• Barcelona have failed to score in just one of their last 23 UEFA Women's Champions League matches.
• Before this game, Paris had conceded just one goal in their last ten away games in all competitions, not counting their forfeited match against Sparta Praha in the round of 16 (0-3).
Line-ups
Barcelona: Paños; Torrejón, Pereira, María León, Ouahabi; Bonmati, Guijarro, Putellas; Graham Hansen, Hermoso, Martens
Fran Kirby scored twice as Chelsea won through to meet Barcelona in the final.
Chelsea are through to their first ever UEFA Women's Champions League final after defeating Bayern München 4-1 and 5-3 on aggregate.
Match in brief
Chelsea and Bayern had demonstrated the ample threats they posed to each other in the first leg, and Fran Kirby needed just 11 minutes to open the scoring in the return, combining slickly with Samantha Kerr before clipping her side in front.
Sarah Zadrazil then notched her first ever Women's Champions League goal with a stunning long-range strike to level, before Ji So-Yun replied from distance to leave extra time looming until the closing moments.
Pernille Harder put Chelsea ahead with a deft 84th-minute header, inspiring a frantic, thrilling finale that included a goal-line clearance from Blues captain Magdalena Eriksson and a near-miss from Kerr when clean through.
Kirby had the final say, slotting in after a counterattack as Bayern battled for the goal that would have sent them through.
Key player: Ji So-Yun
Among a team of players full of resilience, determination and class, Ji's was a quieter heroism, the midfielder keeping her side ticking over by looking after the ball, buying breathing room for her team-mates and moving possession beautifully. Her performance was encapsulated by the composure and quick-thinking with which she scored on the stroke of half-time, bringing Chelsea level in the tie with immaculate timing.
Key stats
• Chelsea's win was their first in their six UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final games, the Blues having previously lost four and drawn one.
• Chelsea have scored at least once in every competitive match since an FA Cup tie with Manchester City on 21 April 2019.
• Chelsea have only failed to score once in their last 25 UEFA Women's Champions League matches.
• Before this game, Bayern had won all seven of their games in Europe this season.
English clubs are currently boycotting social media to protest against racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination and hate speech and so I can't show you the highlights from Chelsea's channel, but here is the whole match from Bayern's channel.
It is thrilling and interesting seeing my Chelsea in final and semi final of UCL.
Watching them yesterday, you are seeing a team more formidable and determined. Those girls are something else. We hope to win it for the first the time and also the men's ucl for the second times.
