"Our defensive display helped us win the game," said Erin Cuthbert, the match-winner. UEFA's analysis unit sheds light on what made the difference in Chelsea's victory over Barcelona in their semi-final opener.
After Chelsea's strong defensive showing in the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona, UEFA's analysis unit delved deeper into the strategies behind Emma Hayes' setup and the key players who executed it.
Chelsea's effective defence began with their compact midfield. A graphic demonstrating Chelsea's out-of-possession formation highlights the narrow setup, with Mayra Ramírez and Lauren James as the front two in a 5-3-2 formation. This allowed Chelsea's wing-backs to stay close to their midfield trio—No. 22 Erin Cuthbert, No. 8 Melanie Leupolz, and No. 6 Sjoeke Nüsken—creating a tightly packed central zone. The total width of Chelsea's midfield rarely exceeded 30.8 meters, indicating a strong defensive core.
Another aspect of Chelsea's defence was the alignment of the wing-backs, with No. 19 Johanna Kaneryd and No. 12 Ashley Lawrence positioned to support the midfield and close off passing lanes. Nüsken played a critical role in covering external routes, especially those leading to Barcelona's dynamic winger Caroline Graham Hansen. This tight structure limited the distance between Chelsea's front line and their defence, contributing to the compactness that stifled Barcelona's attacking efforts.
A second graphic further explained how Chelsea disrupted Barcelona's play through the middle. The narrow midfield formation and disciplined defence minimized the influence of Barcelona's key midfielders—No. 21 Keira Walsh, No. 12 Patri Guijarro, and No. 14 Aitana Bonmatí. After the match, Emma Hayes noted that Barcelona typically aims to create gaps by pulling players out of position, but Chelsea's compactness successfully contained them.
In the previous round, Ajax had faced a similar Chelsea strategy that encouraged opponents to play long balls. Chelsea, however, maintained a higher proportion of longer passes (23%), compared to Barcelona's preference for short passing (only 6%). This disciplined defence limited Barcelona's ability to play their usual possession game.
Technical observer Jayne Ludlow noted in her match analysis that Barcelona tried to lure Chelsea out of their defensive shape by playing through the back line with No. 2 Irene Paredes, No. 23 Ingrid Engen, and No. 22 Ona Batlle. However, Chelsea's solid defence cut off many forward passing options, particularly when Graham Hansen attempted to break through.
Erin Cuthbert, the match-winner, remarked that the defensive performance was crucial to Chelsea's success. The team executed a total of 61 recoveries, including 26 in midfield and 7 in the attacking third. These recoveries were instrumental in stifling Barcelona's attacks.
Barcelona's head coach Jonatan Giráldez acknowledged Chelsea's compact defence, noting that their 5-3-2 formation made it challenging to break through. The outcome was a season-low total of goal attempts for Barcelona and the first time they failed to score in the Women's Champions League. Chelsea's disciplined defence and compact midfield proved to be a significant factor in their semi-final victory over the title-holders.
