Cuthbert earns superb Chelsea slender advantage on Barca

Chelsea defended brilliantly at the Olympic Stadium to beat a Barcelona side aiming to win the trophy for the third time in four seasons. Jonatan Giraldez's side, who hammered Chelsea in the 2021 final and shaded a tight battle in last season's semis against the Blues, were left frustrated in their first home defeat in over five years.

Hayes is hoping to crown the end of her time with Chelsea before taking over the US women's national team, with her first Champions League triumph as a coach. After defeats in the FA Cup and the League Cup final, Chelsea's bid for a quadruple has crumbled in the last few weeks, while Barcelona's is alive but dented by Cuthbert's fine goal.

"We know Barcelona are the best team in Europe and everything has to be perfect for you to get close to winning a game of football," Hayes told reporters. "We took our chance and did a lot to limit their chances. You can only do that together, not individually, and the team as a whole did that today."

Hayes' gameplan worked to perfection as Chelsea reduced a usually dominant Barcelona to remarkably few chances while threatening occasionally on the counter-attack. Having never beaten the Catalans before, the Blues set up with three centre-backs and plenty of grit. They soaked up Barcelona pressure without letting the two-time winners work many dangerous openings.