The Japan Times - Barca eye Women's Champions League semis, City hand Chelsea first defeat of season

Unlike the 2023 Champions League final between the same two opponents, won narrowly 3-2 by Barcelona who came from two goals down, Wednesday's last-eight clash was an uneven affair.

A first-half own-goal by Caitlin Dijkstra, followed up by two strikes in quick succession in the second period by Irene Paredes and Salma Paralluelo put Barcelona firmly in control.

Janina Minge pulled one back inside the final 15 minutes for hosts Wolfsburg, before Barcelona's Sydney Schertenleib added a late fourth.

"Wolfsburg are a really good team but we are confident in our game, in our team, in our players," Paredes told UEFA.

"We were so serious and we didn't make mistakes – that's key in this type of game. We always had to stay alert because they can play long balls and hurt us."

Wolfsburg's Minge told DAZN "it was extremely difficult," adding: "At times we felt like headless chickens on the pitch... in the second half, we were just chasing after them."

Winners of three of the past four Champions Leagues, Barcelona went ahead after 26 minutes when Ewa Pajor, who spent almost a decade at the German club, pressured Dijkstra into conceding an own goal from Aitana Bonmati's cross.

Barcelona took control of the tie with two goals in three minutes after the interval.

Paredes tapped in from close-range after Wolfsburg failed to deal with Barcelona's 50th minute corner and just three minutes later Paralluelo's finish capped an incisive raid from the visitors.

Minge gave Wolfsburg hope when she headed in with 79 minutes gone, but Swiss teenager Schertenleib's fine curling finish with two minutes remaining put Barcelona firmly in control of the tie.

- Miedema double -

If Barcelona can finish the job in the second leg, they will face the winners of Manchester City's tie against Chelsea.

City hold the advantage after their dynamic display in Manchester avenged last weekend's League Cup final defeat against Chelsea.

Women's Super League leaders Chelsea are chasing a first Champions League trophy.

But Chelsea's shock loss ended their 28-game unbeaten run in all competitions in Sonia Bompastor's first season in charge, leaving their hopes of reaching the semi-finals hanging by a slender thread.

Given the absence of key forward Khadija Shaw, it was an impressive result for City's interim manager Nick Cushing, who took over from the sacked Gareth Taylor last week.

This was the second of four successive meetings between the teams in the space of just 12 days, with a Super League clash looming on Sunday followed by the European second leg on March 27.

City took the lead on the hour when Mary Fowler's cross caused havoc in the Chelsea defence and Vivianne Miedema's shot crashed in off the crossbar.

Chelsea pushed for an equaliser but Mayra Ramirez had a goal disallowed for offside before Johanna Rytting Kaneryd fired against the bar.

Miedema rubbed salt into Chelsea's wounds in the 89th minute when the substitute took Kerolin's pass inside the area and drilled into the bottom corner.

H.Nakamura--JT