Chelsea Manager Bompastor Set For 'biggest Challenge' Of Career

Uefa Women's Champions League: Chelsea v Barcelona

Venue: Stamford Bridge Date: Sunday, 27 April Kick-off: 14:00 BST

Coverage: Listen connected BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds and travel unrecorded matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website and app

Sonia Bompastor says nan 2nd limb of Chelsea's Women's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona will beryllium nan "biggest challenge" of her career.

Chelsea must overturn a three-goal shortage erstwhile nan side's meet astatine Stamford Bridge connected Sunday aft suffering a 4-1 conclusion successful nan first leg.

The Blues looked to person kept themselves successful nan necktie erstwhile Sandy Baltimore's 74th infinitesimal onslaught halved Barcelona's lead but conceded doubly successful nan last 10 minutes to harm their hopes of a quadruple dreams and a first European title.

Bompastor is nary alien to beating Barcelona, having coached Lyon to a 3-1 triumph successful nan 2021-22 final, but acknowledges her broadside person a difficult task against "one of nan champion teams successful Europe".

"When I was [Lyon] head successful 2022, we conscionable hit Barcelona successful nan last and it was a immense challenge, but I deliberation this 1 will beryllium astir apt nan biggest 1 successful my profession arsenic a manager," she said.

"We request to move nan 3 goals up and also, we're playing against 1 of nan champion teams successful Europe, if not nan champion team. It will beryllium difficult.

"We will request to effort everything and this is why we're talking astir having a bully mentality. I deliberation nan correct mentality going into nan crippled is to springiness everything, springiness our whole, and not to person immoderate regrets astatine nan extremity of nan game."

Prior to Sunday's conclusion successful Barcelona, Chelsea had only mislaid erstwhile each season.

However, while Bompastor's broadside are not utilized to losing, they did overturn a two-goal shortage to conclusion Manchester City successful nan quarter-finals - an acquisition skipper Millie Bright believes stands them successful bully stead for Sunday.

"It's confidence, conscionable reflection connected erstwhile we played City astatine nan Bridge and what we did successful that game, particularly successful nan first 45 minutes. It could person been much than 3-0," Bright said.

"We cognize what we're tin of. We conscionable request to beryllium astatine nan races and beryllium nan first ones connected nan transportation demanding that intensity, mounting nan tone. It's our location turf and we request to beryllium nan ones starring that."

Bompastor called connected her players to show a guidance to Sunday's conclusion and they will caput into nan 2nd limb afloat of assurance aft defeating Crystal Palace 4-0 successful midweek.

But for erstwhile Arsenal subordinate Anita Asante, overturning Barcelona's lead is "one measurement excessively far".

"[Chelsea] person sewage leaders successful that group and knowledgeable players who person won nan Champions League pinch Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh, nan head herself. They will person to transportation that belief because that is what they're going to request to springiness them power and bring nan strength into that game," she said.

"But Barcelona are nan [defending] champions for a logic and that caller capacity really reflected that."

Former England guardant Ellen White said nan situation for Chelsea will beryllium shutting retired Barcelona's attacking threats.

"It's an uphill battle," she told BBC 5 Live Sport's Women's Football Weekly. "If you were to return 2-1 backmost to Stamford Bridge, I deliberation I would beryllium laughing. [But] 4-1 is simply a lot.

"Chelsea tin benignant a batch of goals, but tin they not concede? Barca are going to people goals. They've sewage it successful their locker. It's whether [Chelsea] tin people capable goals and not concede against Barcelona. I'm not rather judge they could do that."

However, Jen Beattie offered a glimmer of dream for nan Blues: "Look, crazier things person happened successful European shot lately. We've each seen really moreover 3-0 deficits aren't enough. [But] it's a immense task for them."