Chelsea Women boss Emma Hayes says Barcelona must face Stamford Bridge sell-out if Blues are to progress in Champions League

Emma Hayes said Chelsea Women would need a sold-out Stamford Bridge to complete the job against Barcelona and reach the Champions League finals.

The Blues stunned their hosts in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Saturday, inflicting Barcelona's first home defeat in any competition since March 2019 courtesy of Erin Cuthbert's first-half winner.

Chelsea have been eliminated by Barca in two of the last three seasons of the competition, most painfully the 2021 final where they were thrashed 4-0.

With that in mind, Hayes said her side would need every advantage they could find in order to avoid defeat and finally get past the two-time winners at the third time of asking.

More than 25,000 tickets have already been sold for next Saturday's game which kicks off at 5.30pm, but Hayes called for fans to pack out Stamford Bridge, which holds just over 40,000, to get her side over the line.

"It's essential [the game is sold out]," she said. "Our girls deserve to play in front of a full house to give ourselves the best possible chance. We will need the crowd.

"Barcelona will throw absolutely everything at us. For us to progress, we need absolutely everything."

Speaking to DAZN, she added: "I think I know how to come away from home and get a result. We have not performed against Barcelona at home.

"We have under performed when we played at home. Barcelona have another level in them and I think that's clear. Maybe they don't feel they were at their best today and we have to anticipate that."

Chelsea found themselves the beneficiaries of a VAR call after a penalty awarded for a handball against Kadeisha Buchanan was overturned with the help of the video assistant, who ruled Barca striker Salma Paralluelo was offside and