Chelsea's Women's Champions League Dreams Dimmed
Controversial Red Card Thwarts Chelsea's Progress
Chelsea's hopes of reaching the Women's Champions League final suffered a major setback as they were defeated 2-1 by Barcelona in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
Marta Torrejón and Leila Ouahabi scored the goals for Barcelona, while Guro Reiten netted a consolation goal for Chelsea.
Red Card Incident
The match was marred by a controversial red card shown to Kadeisha Buchanan in the second half.
Buchanan was adjudged to have brought down Barcelona's Aitana Bonmatí in the penalty area, but replays showed that the contact was minimal.
The decision left Chelsea with 10 players and severely hampered their chances of getting back into the game.
Barcelona's Dominance
Barcelona were the dominant team throughout the match and created numerous chances.
Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger made several impressive saves to keep her team in the game, but Barcelona's superior quality eventually told.
Second Leg Challenge
Chelsea will now need to overturn a one-goal deficit in the second leg at home on March 30.
However, they will be without Buchanan, who is suspended following her red card.
It will be a daunting task for Chelsea, but they will be determined to give it their all and try to reach the final for the first time since 2021.
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