Chelsea manager Emma Hayes believes that there’s still everything to play for in her side’s UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final tie against Barcelona.
The Blues suffered a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in the first leg this afternoon. Caroline Graham Hansen netted the only goal of the game early in the first half.
Chelsea face an uphill task to qualify for the final with Barcelona remaining the heavy favourites but manager Hayes believes that it is a positive that her side travel to Spain for the second leg just a goal behind.
“You have to be in the tie,” Hayes said when speaking in the post-match press conference. “We’re in the tie and now we have to prepare again for another game.
“Now players have experienced that and it’s important we learn and stay in the tie. That was my big message – stay in the tie.”
Barcelona dominated the chances over the 90 minutes but Hayes was pleased with how her side defended. The Blues boss had to field a patched up back-line as a result of injuries to Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan.
She said “You have to suffer, you will be without the ball. One switch off and positional error cost us the goal.
“They have different threats but I think we limited them to as few chances as we possibly could and I’ll take that going into the next game.
“I wanted to be in the tie and we’re in the tie.”
Chelsea will travel to Barcelona for the second leg on Thursday evening.
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