An encouraging performance saw **Chelsea**claim a point against **Barcelona**in the fourth gameweek of the 2025/26 Women's Champions League. It was a much more encouraging display from the Blues than the one witnessed against **Liverpool**last weekend.
Sonia Bompastor's side would certainly be pleased with the result, given the last match between the two at Stamford Bridge ended 4-1 in Barcelona's favour. However, there is certainly the feeling that Chelsea could have taken all points away from this encounter, outplaying their opponents for large portions of the 90 minutes.
Ellie Carpenter fired the home side into the lead with some style. The Australian was given plenty of space to progress down the right wing before she rifled her attempt into the top right corner.
Barcelona would respond less than ten minutes later. Ewa Pajor was the first to react to a loose ball and fired an effort that left Livia Peng helpless in the situation.
Chelsea thought they had retaken the lead later on in the second as substitute Catarina Macario's headed attempt from a free kick flew into the back of the net with her first touch. However, the flag went up in what looked like an extremely tight decision.
The game ended level; here is what we learnt from this encounter:
Sandy Baltimore needs to be a regular starter:
Sonia Bompastor put her faith in Baltimore for the Barcelona encounter, a decision which the French international proved was the correct one, giving Ona Batlle a tough time, especially in the first half. Baltimore looked threatening every time she went forward, finding teammates in central areas on multiple occasions.
Her hold-up play was superb on the night, as she was very rarely dispossessed, allowing her teammates to get into favourable areas of the pitch before releasing the ball.
Defensive duties were also fulfilled very effectively by Baltimore, recovering the ball on plenty of occasions and giving Barcelona a much tougher night than they perhaps expected.
A performance like that surely has to put her name in the mind of Bompastor for WSL team selections. Baltimore has only started four times in the league this season, whilst Niamh Charles has occupied the position on most other occasions.
Could this change after a superb evening for Baltimore?
Carpenter continues to prove to be a shrewd piece of summer business:
Another player in Blue who put in a fine display against Barcelona was Ellie Carpenter. The Australian scored Chelsea's solitary goal of the match, and what a goal it was. As soon as the ball left her feet, the attempt looked destined for the back of the net, which is exactly where it ended up.
But Carpenter offered so much more than goal threat on the night as her work rate was relentless, constantly darting up and down the right wing. That was certainly her most significant attribute on the night, a much-needed counter to the brutal intensity of Barcelona.
Her pace unlocked plenty of space for the Blues to operate in, much more than they likely would have anticipated ahead of the ninety minutes. She simply could not be contained in this one and got he reward for a persistent performance at Stamford Bridge.
Upon her signing in the summer, questions were raised as to how she would fit into Sonia Bompastor's squad, with Lucy Bronze being a tough act to top in her position. However, it is more than clear that the Australian offers plenty to this Chelsea squad; this match was one of the best examples.
Chelsea's confidence looked like it surprised Barcelona:
Whilst Barcelona did have the larger share of possession in the encounter, it would be a fair observation to say that the Blues were effective on the ball. This was especially clear in the first half, where they had their opponents penned in at times as the ball kept being handed back to them.
Erin Cuthbert, in particular, looked a handful from the first whistle, allowing Barcelona little time to make their decisions and also providing a threat in the final third herself. The Scot was at the heart of most good things for her side in the opening 45 minutes.
Barcelona dealt with the Blues much more effectively in the second half, other than a late resurgence from Chelsea as they tried to look for a winner.
Nevertheless, the display over the 90 minutes is one that should spark great encouragement within the Chelsea fan base, as their side more than held their own against Barcelona. Arguably, Sonia Bompastor's side deserved more than they got on the night.
It certainly looked like the visitors were caught slightly off guard by how willing Chelsea were to get forward early on, and how often they retained possession despite being challenged.
The patient approach worked in Chelsea's favour:
As expected against a team of Barcelona's quality, Chelsea adopted a much more considered approach to their attacking moves in the match, being much more patient than they usually are in their build-up play.
This, on the whole, worked for the Blues, who found plenty of joy in the final third, giving the visitors a scare on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, these sweeping moves could not be capitalised on as Chelsea's solitary goal ironically came from a fast break.
But the point stands that the patient approach is effective for Bompastor's side and certainly should be considered going forward. A lot of Chelsea's attacks this season have felt rushed, so perhaps an approach similar to the one taken against Barcelona could be adopted.
It will be interesting to see how Chelsea go forward in their next match, but fans will have to wait until after the final international break of the year to find out.