Chelsea vs Barcelona: Sonia Bompastor set for ‘biggest challenge’ of career

Bompastor called on her players to show a reaction to Sunday’s defeat and they will head into the second leg full of confidence after defeating Crystal Palace 4-0 in midweek.

But for former Arsenal player Anita Asante, overturning Barcelona’s lead is “one step too far”.

“[Chelsea] have got leaders in that group and experienced players who have won the Champions League with Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh, the manager herself. They will have to carry that belief because that is what they’re going to need to give them energy and bring the intensity into that game,” she said.

“But Barcelona are the [defending] champions for a reason and that recent performance really reflected that.”

Former England forward Ellen White said the challenge for Chelsea will be shutting out Barcelona’s attacking threats.

“It’s an uphill battle,” she told BBC 5 Live Sport’s Women’s Football Weekly. “If you were to take 2-1 back to Stamford Bridge, I think I would be laughing. [But] 4-1 is a lot.

“Chelsea can sort a lot of goals, but can they not concede? Barca are going to score goals. They’ve got it in their locker. It’s whether [Chelsea] can score enough goals and not concede against Barcelona. I’m not quite sure they could do that.”

However, Jen Beattie offered a glimmer of hope for the Blues: “Look, crazier things have happened in European football lately. We’ve all seen how even 3-0 deficits aren’t enough. [But] it’s a huge task for them.”