‘It’s going to be tough. We’re ready to perform’, says Emma Hayes ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Barcelona
EMMA HAYES warns her Chelsea stars must be prepared to suffer in their bid to brush aside Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League.
Her WSL titans will be targeting a Stamford Bridge win when they face Spain’s top tier leaders in a crucial first-leg semis duel.
The Blues chief, 45, said: “It will be tough and we have to play a perfect game.
“We have to execute at both ends of the pitch to give ourselves the best possible chance.
“We have the advantage of being at home but we have as much possibility as we have ever had of qualifying for a final.
“My message to the players is to give absolutely everything you can to doing that knowing that a final is at stake.
“We are a team that are used to struggling, we know how to suffer and we’re going to have to do that for much of the game.
“But we have a team that is ready to perform.”
The last clash between the sides in the 2021 final saw Chelsea fall to a 4-0 defeat.
Magda Eriksson, who played in that game, says the Blues are ready to rise to the challenge of stunning their rivals.
And in the lead up to this game the Blues have registered impressive results in Europe this term
These include a quarter-final knockout of eight-time Champions League winners Lyon.
The Chelsea captain said: “Of course the final loss a couple of years ago motivates us, but just the fact we can reach the final is motivation enough.
“The girls have had a really good training week.
“We can sense there is something special and the team is very, very together and ready for this challenge.
Chelsea vs Barcelona can be watched live via DAZN’s YouTube channel at 12:30 pm today