Emma Hayes disappointed despite Chelsea Women's huge Champions League win over Barcelona

Chelsea Women's boss Emma Hayes has admitted her disappointment that her team couldn't secure a second goal against Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final first-leg victory on Saturday. She highlighted the slim margins at play when facing the current champions.

Captain Erin Cuthbert's strike in the first half gave the Blues a crucial 1-0 lead as they prepare to return to west London for the second leg at Stamford Bridge next weekend. It took Chelsea some time to find their footing in the fiercely contested match between two old rivals, but they managed to deliver a solid performance and secure a narrow yet deserved win on the road, something the club has historically struggled with.

Saturday's victory marked Barcelona's first competitive home loss since February 2019 and Chelsea's first win in four attempts.

In her pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's game, Hayes insisted there was no room for talk of fairytales as her team continues their quest for their first-ever European silverware, the only trophy that has eluded Hayes during her successful tenure at Chelsea.

The manager, who is set to move to the USA, maintained a similarly measured and focused stance after her team's narrow 1-0 win in Spain, emphasising just how fragile the advantage is when facing a European powerhouse like Barcelona.

«It's just half-time,» Hayes remarked to DAZN after the match. «Nobody should get carried away with that and to be honest I'm disappointed we didn't get the second goal. It's a difficult place to come, they carried out the game plan I asked them to do so from that perspective I'm happy.

Chelsea earn stunning Champions League semi-final win over Barcelona as Erin Cuthbert shines

Emma Hayes can't avoid Jurgen Klopp