More than 20,000 tickets have been sold for the second leg of Chelsea’s UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final meeting with Barcelona, which gets underway at Stamford Bridge at 14:00 BST [15:00 CEST] on Sunday 27 April.
With the Blaugrana leading the aggregate tie after a dominant 4-1 win in Catalunya a week ago, Chelsea must score at least three goals to force extra time and a penalty shootout, and so Sonia Bompastor confirmed that her side “will go for it”.
“I think this is part of this club’s DNA, but it’s also our mentality. We’ll be playing at home and we’ll try to do our best to be able to be in a position to score goals. But we know also it will be really important not to concede. So that’s the big challenge, but we are ready for it,” she assured fans, speaking during her pre-match press conference.
Against a side of Barcelona’s quality, scoring three goals is easier said than done, and Bompastor acknowledged that “we’ll have to take risks to be able to score.”
The former French international isn’t worried, though.
“I know within my squad, I have a lot of talent and quality. The players who will start the game will have to show that talent tomorrow. But I know we are capable of doing that,” she explained.
“I think mentality and confidence are a crucial part of the game. Sometimes people don’t realise that. Of course, in the performance, you have also the tactical aspects with the game plan,” said the 44-year-old, “but I think the mental side controls everything. When you have players who are full of confidence, they are capable of anything.”
“My job is to make sure they feel the support and the confidence coming from me and the staff because that’s the best way we can support them. That’s the best way we can see the best version of the players on the pitch.”