Barça overcame the first assault at Stamford Bridge and will have to assert the victory (0-1) against Chelsea in the second leg at the Camp Nou. Jonatan Giráldez acknowledges that "everything is open" and appeals to the fans for next Thursday: "We need people to come, that when the bus arrives at the stadium they are already waiting for us." The Blaugrana coach has promised to offer a great show in exchange: “They are going to enjoy the game. We have a competitive team, we are very hungry and we want to qualify for the final”.
Giráldez was satisfied with his team's performance: “I am very happy. It is very difficult to compete at this level, in a field like this and against a rival like this. I think the team's performance has been very high", he said, despite acknowledging that the advantage could have been greater, he was satisfied: "Sometimes it can be a short result, but it is a victory away from home and in the Champions League, it has a lot of merit”.
The coach from Vigo has especially highlighted "the great game at the defensive level" of his team: "That they only shoot you three times between the three sticks has a lot of merit and says a lot about how we work. We have been very well located at all times. I'm very happy".
The absence of Lauren James in the Chelsea eleven has also surprised the Blaugrana coach: "I thought he would play and that has changed our plan a bit, but I think that when he entered the second half we controlled it very well", he explained. Without his starting central defenders, due to injury, Giráldez expected a more defensive Chelsea, with a line of five behind: "Understanding Barça's offensive potential, I imagine they have tried to protect themselves more", he assessed.
Undoubtedly the star of the match was Caroline Graham Hansen. Author of the only goal of the match and omnipresent in attack, the Norwegian had a great impact on the FCB game. “She was one of the keys to the game”, confesses Giráldez: “The whole team has behaved very well to find her. We were looking for him to be able to create one-on-one chances like the ones that generated the first goal”. “It has been one of those moments in which you receive the ball and everything falls into place. When you're determined and you know it's going to be a goal", explained the Nordic footballer, named MVP of the match.
The blaugrana has ended up having to be replaced, exhausted after emptying herself in one of her best matches: "She was very tired, she was beginning to notice cramps and we had to change her", explained Giráldez. Graham Hansen regretted that the income was not higher: “All our away games in the Champions League this year have been difficult, and we knew that this would not be an exception. We deserved this result, Chelsea haven't had too many good chances, it's a shame we didn't go away with a couple more goals”.
For Irene Paredes "the most important thing was victory." The Gipuzkoan central defender highlighted the victory: “It's the semifinals of the Champions League. We have won and we have kept a clean sheet. You have to value the game. I think we have controlled them very well. They are a team that with very little can do you a lot of damage and stopping that is very difficult”.
Along the same lines, Aitana Bonmatí stressed that Barça "has been a very serious team". "We have not granted them almost anything", he has sentenced him. The Blaugrana midfielder has also been self-critical: “We lacked a bit of a break. We like to have the ball and that's how we create chances. We need to get to the top more calmly." Finally, Bonmatí has also joined the appeal to the fans: “Nothing is done. We are waiting for you and we need you more than ever”.
