A Champions League dream over before it began

Chelsea’s hopes of a first Champions League title were dashed in devastating fashion by a brilliant Barcelona

Chelsea forward Fran Kirby (Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

After waiting so long for a first Champions League final, it was almost over before it began.

Emma Hayes had worked nine years to get to this point. Her champion Chelsea team had given everything on a dramatic, rollercoaster run to Gothenburg this season to reach it.

But then in a cruel twist of fate and a footballing masterclass it was all taken away from them in a devastating first-half display from Barcelona.

The first cut was the deepest, as they say, midfielder Melanie Leupolz unwillingly seeing the ball divert off her and into her own net after just 33 seconds of the match.

The worst possible start but worse was to come when forward Julia Hermoso, outstanding throughout, was adjudged to have been felled by Leupolz in the box.

Captain Alexia Putellas stepped up and made no mistake from the spot, Barcelona two up with less than 15 minutes on the clock.

Midfielder Aitana Bonmati would make it three with a neat finish after a slick move before winger Caroline Graham Hansen tapped home a fourth, all inside 36 minutes.

"The game was over before it began and that is what makes it difficult to reflect on," Hayes said afterwards, her team rallying after the half-time break to keep the score to 4-0.

"The players gave it everything. Barcelona are worthy winners and deserving of their title. We will learn from it because this is the next step and we showed some naivety at times.

"You have to stay in the game against this team, and the early goal and the manner in which we conceded it and the penalty, and we were 2-0 down."

It wasn't how it was supposed to play out after a supreme season for Hayes' side.

The Continental Cup win in March was followed by a successful defence of their Women's Super League title, secured last weekend.

The pulsating run to a first European final, through Atletico Madrid, Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich, was one all involved with the club will remember.

But this ending and failing to deliver on the biggest stage - one they had worked so hard to reach - will hurt more than most.

"Listen, we have won the double so it is not like we are trophy-less but I am gutted we didn't get the chance to make a game of it," Hayes added.

"I said to the players, 'Look at the scoreboard' - and that has to be a motivating factor when they come back into pre-season because this result will stay with them over the summer.

"I felt calm coming into the game and I thought some of the inexperience cost us but they will grow from that and improve from that.

"I know I have a quiet dressing room now, but they are proud of the shift they put in."

Barcelona are now the standard Chelsea and the rest of the European game must reach.

League champions themselves with a perfect record in Spain, they showed just how far they have come since their own chastening final experience, a 4-1 defeat to habitual winners Lyon back in 2017.

"It is obviously disappointing," defender Millie Bright said. "We didn't have the start we wanted and in these types of games against these opponents you cannot concede sloppy goals.

"They had four chances in the first half and put four in the back of the net. It is a massive learning curve but we are proud of our journey and what we have achieved."

A rescheduled FA Cup tie with Everton will officially end Chelsea's season on Thursday but for many connected to it Sunday night in Sweden, watching another team lift a trophy, is how the 2020/21 campaign will now be remembered.

But Hayes, ever the pragmatist, has a different view.

"We are not quite European Champions yet, but guess what? We are the second best team in Europe. I’ll take that as a step in the right direction.”

She will hope the next step has a happier ending.