Chelsea's date with destiny: Can the big-spending Blues finally take down all-conquering Barcelona in the Women's Champions League?

It's fair to say Chelsea have been doing plenty to try and ensure they can change the tide of this head-to-head and edge closer towards the Champions League trophy that has long eluded them. That's been the case for several years, but it feels like it has ramped up this season.

It was particularly pertinent in January, when Chelsea splashed a heap of cash to further bolster an already blockbuster team. In came Naomi Girma, the United States star widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the world, for a world-record fee, and Walsh would follow from Barcelona, having spent the past two-and-a-half years going to new levels as a player in Catalunya. These were two world-class additions, coming in ahead of the Champions League knockout stages.

Following the appointment of Sonia Bompastor in the summer, who has triumphed in this competition as a player and a coach, plus the recruitment of a five-time UWCL winner in Bronze, there are suddenly even more top-level characters who know what it takes to get over the line in the biggest competitions in the sport - on top of the plethora that were already at the club.

Chelsea's switch to Bompastor has been relatively seamless, resulting in just one defeat through 33 matches to date. Barcelona, meanwhile, have had a few setbacks in their first season under a new coach of their own.

When Lluis Cortes, the man who delivered Barca's first UWCL title, left the club off the back of that success, the Catalans had remarkable success in appointing his assistant, Jonatan Giraldez. He delivered two more European titles in his three seasons, those back-to-back and the latter as part of an historic first quadruple for the women's team. When Giraldez then chose to move on, to take charge of the Washington Spirit, it made total sense for the club to turn to another member of the backroom team, in Pere Romeu.

However, despite players speaking very highly of the 31-year-old, there have been some obstacles this term. In October, a shock 2-0 defeat to Manchester City left a lot to be desired, while a first-ever loss to Real Madrid just last month ended an unbeaten streak against Las Blancas that the fans revelled in. It's not been entirely straight-forward.

That said, Barca are still firmly on track to win a quadruple this season. They've already lifted the Supercopa de Espana, they are into the final of the Copa de la Reina, they are four points clear at the top of the Liga F table and, this weekend, their Champions League semi-final against Chelsea begins.

This is a team that has delivered time and time again in moments of the highest pressure, and you'd be brave to bet against them doing that on this occasion, especially given the quality that resides within their squad. The only reason that defeats like those against City and Madrid are placed under the microscope is because they are so rare. To have lost just three games all season - the other to Levante in the league - by mid-April is remarkable, with criticism and concern simply an indication of how high they have set the bar for themselves.

Central to a campaign that could still return four trophies have been a number of star names. Caroline Graham Hansen has continued the brilliant form that resulted in so many people calling for her to pip Aitana Bonmati to last year's Ballon d'Or, while the winner of that Golden Ball herself has not taken her foot off the gas in a bid for a third successive individual triumph. Patri Guijarro has been an assist-machine from holding midfield, summer signing Ewa Pajor has already surpassed the 30-goal mark and, perhaps above all, Alexia Putellas might well be back to her best.

The 31-year-old has had some rotten injury luck in recent years, suffering an ACL tear on the eve of the European Championship in 2022 after she had just completed a remarkable season that would see her retain her first Ballon d'Or. Understandably, it took some time for her to build back up to the incredible level she was at before that setback, and some smaller fitness obstacles here and there didn't help.

However, after showing glimpses of her preposterous talent in the time since, with a wonderful goal in last year's Champions League final a great example, it does feel like Putellas is right back up there with the likes of Graham Hansen and Bonmati now, consistently and brilliantly impacting games of the greatest magnitude. It's why all three feel like huge contenders for this year's Golden Ball.

Chelsea's star performers this season, meanwhile, have largely come in defence. It has been back there that they've had the most consistency in player availability, having suffered a challenging number of injuries that they've dealt with admirably. Bronze, Nathalie Bjorn and Millie Bright have thrived in that consistency in particular, as has Sandy Baltimore either side of an injury.

But it's hard not to wonder just who the go-to match-winner can be for the Blues in a big game like this. For Barca, it might be a moment of magic from Graham Hansen, or Putellas, or Bonmati, or Pajor - the list goes on. Chelsea, though, could be without Lauren James, while Sam Kerr hasn't played all season due to an ACL injury. Guro Reiten is a timely returnee, albeit with only a couple of minutes under her belt right now; Catarina Macario, a vital cog when Lyon won this competition in 2022, has struggled for starts amid her own fitness concerns; and Mayra Ramirez has not been as consistent in front of goal as she would have liked.

That's not to say there are not match-winners in this Chelsea team. Ramirez has had some huge games despite being up-and-down, Aggie Beever-Jones has turned up in big moments as her exciting development continues, and it was only 12 months ago that Erin Cuthbert provided the goal that gave the Blues a famous win in Catalunya. But not only has someone got to step up to the plate to deliver a moment of magic against Europe's best team, the Blues' defence has also got to keep all the match-winners on the other side quiet, too. It's a tough task.

That's where Bompastor likely comes into it. Looking at these two squads on paper, and particularly the names available for selection, most might pick Barcelona to win - and you couldn't blame them. However, where Chelsea do have an advantage is in the dugout. While Romeu is in just his first season as a head coach, and this is a great opportunity for a talented young manager to really make their mark, Bompastor has already proven herself at the very highest level in the second part of her footballing career, having also done so as a player.

After guiding Lyon to seven major honours in just three seasons, including a Champions League title, she has already lifted silverware in England, too, in the form of the League Cup. Her return of one defeat in 33 games speaks for itself: Bompastor has settled in brilliantly at Chelsea.

Crucially, her Champions League triumph as Lyon boss also came at the expense of Barcelona. The Catalans were much-hyped going into the 2022 final, having disposed of Chelsea by a 4-0 scoreline 12 months prior. However, they were out-classed by OL in Turin, going 3-0 down inside the first 33 minutes. Bompastor was the architect of their downfall on that occasion and she'll certainly back herself to repeat that role, especially against an opponent that has not changed dramatically in the three years since.

That battle in the dugout is just another incredibly intriguing factor in a match-up that has thrown up plenty of twists and turns in the five meetings prior. Those games have been tight since the 2022 final, with Barcelona winning 2-1 on aggregate in both previous semi-finals. Will it be that close again? Will Barca win again? Or will Chelsea finally have their moment against the European champions? It's almost time to find out.