Chelsea 0-2 Barcelona (1-2 agg): Blues dealt Champions League heartbreak as controversial semi-final second-leg defeat knocks them OUT – with Aitana Bonmati and Fridolina Rolfo on target

The problem with playing the best team in the world over two legs is that you have to deliver a perfect performance twice. Chelsea succeeded in Barcelona but were undone at Stamford Bridge. The small margins went against them.

A deflection that helped Aitana Bonmati level in the first half. The crossbar and post, which Barcelona saved several times. But most importantly, Chelsea regretted two controversial decisions that tipped the balance of this second leg in favor of Barça.

In the first, Kadeisha Buchanan was wrongly sent off after an hour for a second bookable offence, forcing Chelsea to play with ten. In the second, Aitana Bonmati, who had leveled Barca in the first half, won a dubious penalty – which Fridolina Rolfo converted.

It wasn’t the Stamford Bridge swan song that Emma Hayes deserved and there will be no fairytale ending in Bilbao next month. Chelsea can still win the Women’s Super League title, but they could also end the season without any silverware.

Football isn’t always fair, and the way Chelsea lost this match felt unfair. Hayes seemed to be uttering the words “I feel robbed” full time. That Barca have come so close will come as little consolation, but both Hayes and her players can be proud.

After inflicting a first home defeat in five years on the Catalans last week, Chelsea knew their opponents would throw everything at them in the opening stages of this second leg.

After weathering the storm for 25 minutes, the Blues’ resistance was broken when Bonmati’s shot from the edge of the penalty area found the bottom right corner via Kadeisha Buchanan.

Chelsea’s reaction to going behind was positive, but they saw three good chances to equalize by begging. First, Macario forced Cata Coll into a great save with a half-volley from the edge of the penalty area.

Then Melanie Leupolz hit the crossbar at the back post when it was easier to score. Chelsea should have equalized again when Barca got themselves into trouble when Irene Parades’ back pass to Coll was intercepted by Sjoeke Nusken.

The midfielder’s cutback evaded James but fell to Johanna Rytting Kaneryd. She passed the ball back to Erin Cuthbert, but her effort flew over the bar.

Another big chance came to Chelsea early in the second half when Ashley Lawrence was played in by James. The full-back picked out Nusken in the penalty area, but the midfielder’s shot hit the outside of the far post and bounced wide.

Then came the first controversial moment.

Buchanan had been shown a yellow card for an earlier foul and when she challenged Patri Guijarro for the ball, referee Iuliana Demetrescu awarded a free-kick to Barca and waved a second yellow card for the Chelsea defender.

Replays showed that Buchanan had won the ball cleanly, but because it was a second yellow card instead of an immediate red, the VAR could not assess the incident. Buchanan had to walk and Chelsea had to play with 10.

Blauw-Zwart had done well to keep Barcelona at bay, but in the 75th minute another decision went against them. Bonmati was played in on the left and fell to the ground in the penalty area under pressure from Lawrence and Jess Carter.

The referee pointed to the spot. It was callous, with replays showing Bonmati had initiated the contact, but it was the kind of decision that VAR doesn’t overturn.

Hayes brought in Millie Bright as a makeshift striker in the hope of keeping the match alive, but Barca’s player advantage prevented Chelsea from beating their opponents.