Chelsea restored some of the pride they lost in their Champions League thumping at the hands of Barcelona last season with a creditable 1-1 draw with the Spanish giants. After a chastening 8-2 semi-final aggregate loss to Barca, the Blues had a point to prove and were on track to do that with Ellie Carpenter's piledriver. But Ewa Pajor's strike ensured the spoils were shared on Thursday.
After a bright start from the visitors, a determined Chelsea took the lead in the 16th minute when Carpenter emphatically smashed the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box. Barcelona's Pajor nearly hit back straight away when she slotted past Livia Peng, only for her effort to be ruled out for offside, but the Polish striker wouldn't be denied in the 24th minute when she fired through a crowd of bodies after the Blues failed to clear a corner.
Barca stopper Cata Coll did well to keep out Wieke Kaptein's lofted shot following a defence-splitting pass from Erin Cuthbert and then the Netherlands international rattled the post after a neat layoff from Alyssa Thompson. Just as the hosts' grip on the contest – which was delayed for a while due to a power cut – started to loosen in the second half, substitute Catarina Macario expertly headed in a free-kick, only for her effort to be ruled out for just straying offside by the narrowest of margins.
Chelsea should have been 2-1 with 10 minutes to go when a brilliant move ended in Carpenter smacking the ball wide when it seemed easier to score from eight yards out. The result saw Barcelona go top of the tournament's league table, whereas Chelsea are sixth after four matches. While this may appear to be a good result, this was a missed opportunity for Sonia Bompastor's side.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…
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Livia Peng (6/10):
The summer signing is in for the injured Hannah Hampton and was competent enough in between the sticks for Chelsea.
Lucy Bronze (7/10):
The veteran pulled off a number of important clearances, along with the odd powerful surge into the opposition's half.
Nathalie Bjorn (6/10):
Was solid if unspectacular in Chelsea's backline. If Millie Bright is to return to the starting XI, her place in the team may be under threat if Naomi Girma continues to excel in defence.
Naomi Girma (8/10):
Made a brilliant, last-ditch tackle to keep the scores level early on and some of her recoveries at the back were very impressive. Started ahead of Bright, and it seemed to have been the right call.
Sandy Baltimore (9/10):
Was solid and smart at the back and was a right nuisance going forward. She linked up well with Thompson down Chelsea's left and was arguably their best player.
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Keira Walsh (7/10):
The former Barcelona ace plugged some gaps in Chelsea's midfield and linked up well with her team-mates.
Wieke Kaptein (7/10):
Was so close to grabbing a brace but a mixture of the Barcelona keeper and some bad luck kept her at bay.
Erin Cuthbert (8/10):
The captain led by example with a typically industrious and committed performance. She also threaded some nice through balls to her team-mates in the final third.
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Ellie Carpenter (7/10):
Scored a quite brilliant goal in the first half but was guilty of being a bit sloppy in possession and some of her passing was errant. Plus, she missed a glorious opportunity late on to win it.
Aggie Beever-Jones (7/10):
Held the ball up well and brought others into play. She is working her way back to fitness but got an assist for Chelsea's goal and did herself proud.
Alyssa Thompson (8/10):
Her pace and trickery kept Barcelona's backline honest, both on the left and right wing. Sometimes she takes a touch too many when there are better options available but she is a big talent.
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Catarina Macario (8/10):
It looked like she scored with her very first touch with a sublime header but VAR ruled it out. Was very impressive off the bench.
Sonia Bompastor (7/10):
After last season's drubbing in this competition, the Frenchwoman's team gave a much better account of themselves, particularly in defence. They also created clearer-cut chances and were well organised.