Meet the Women's Champions League semi-finalists: Barcelona, Chelsea, Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain

Barcelona play Chelsea and Lyon face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals in the last two weekends of April. We introduce the four contenders aiming for the 25 May final in Bilbao.

Barcelona vs Chelsea

Barcelona (ESP, holders)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2022/23): 1
How they qualified: Holders, Spanish champions
Group stage: Group A winners (W5-0 h vs Benfica, W3-1 a vs Eintracht Frankfurt, W6-0 a vs Rosengård, W7-0 h vs Rosengård, W2-0 h vs Eintracht Frankfurt, D4-4 a vs Benfica)
Quarter-finals: W5-2agg vs Brann (W2-1 a, W3-1h)
Top scorer: Salma Paralluelo (6)
Last season: Winners
Domestic honours: 8 x League champions, 9 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Winners (2020/21, 2022/23)
Semi-final record: W4 L2

Previous semi-finals

2022/23: W2-1agg vs Chelsea (W1-0 a, D1-1 h)
2021/22: W5-3agg vs Wolfsburg (W5-1 h, L0-2 a)
2020/21: W3-2agg vs Paris Saint-Germain (D1-1 a, W2-1 h)
2019/20: L0-1 vs Wolfsburg (n, San Sebastián)
2018/19: W2-0agg vs Bayern (W1-0 a, W1-0 h)
2016/17: L1-5agg vs Paris Saint-Germain (L1-3 h, L0-2 a)

Campaign in a nutshell

Aiming for a second straight title, and a fourth final in a row, Barcelona cruised through their group in familiar style, top scorers once again and only dropping points on Matchday 6 at Benfica with first place already secured. Brann did give Barcelona a test on the Norwegian club's first quarter-final appearance, but Salma Paralluelo struck the winner in the first leg before Caroline Graham Hansen continued a stellar campaign with a supreme performance against her compatriots in the return.

Coach: Jonatan Giráldez

The former assistant to Lluís Cortés replaced the Women's Champions League-winning coach in the summer of 2021 and has kept Barcelona's stellar run going almost without missing a step, losing the 2022 Champions League final against Lyon but defeating Wolfsburg 12 months later and continuing to dominate domestically. The 32-year-old is stepping down at the end of the season to take over Washington Spirit.

Did you know?

Barcelona have equalled Lyon's record of reaching six semi-finals in a row.

Chelsea (ENG)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2022/23): 6
How they qualified: English champions
Group stage: Group D winners (D2-2 a vs Real Madrid, W4-1 h vs Paris FC, D0-0 h vs Häcken, W3-1 a vs Häcken, W2-1 h vs Real Madrid, W4-0 a vs Paris FC)
Quarter-finals: W4-1agg vs Ajax (W3-0 a, D1-1 h)
Top scorer: Sam Kerr (5)
Last season: Semi-finals
Domestic honours: 6 x League champions, 5 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Runners-up (2020/21)
Semi-final record: W1 L3

Previous semi-finals

2022/23: L1-2agg vs Barcelona (L0-1 h, D1-1 a)
2020/21: W5-3agg vs Bayern (L1-2 a, W4-1 h)
2018/19: L2-3agg vs Lyon (L1-2 a, D1-1 h)
2017/18: L1-5agg vs Wolfsburg (W1-3 h, L0-2 a)

Campaign in a nutshell

Chelsea had a tough group but seldom looked in trouble, despite being denied on Matchday 1 in Madrid and held at home by Häcken. They had a long injury list that included Sam Kerr by the time they faced Ajax in the quarter-finals, but the Blues continued their excellent away European record in the last couple of seasons as they won 3-0 in front of more than 35,000 fans in Amsterdam, ensuring they could afford a 1-1 Stamford Bridge draw in which January signing Mayra Ramírez scored.

Coach: Emma Hayes

Her Arsenal playing career was cut short aged 17 due to injury, but, after learning the coaching ropes with the FA, Hayes joined the Gunners' set-up and was assistant to Vic Akers when they won the 2006/07 UEFA Women's Cup. In 2008, she took over at Chicago Red Stars and later worked for Western New York Flash as technical director prior to her 2012 appointment by Chelsea. Six league titles, numerous other trophies, a run to the 2021 Women's Champions League final and many personal honours have followed. Like Barcelona coach Giráldez, Hayes is leaving at the end of the season to become the United States national coach.

Did you know?

Chelsea are one of only two English clubs to reach the final, along with Arsenal (in 2006/07 when Hayes was assisting Akers).

Lyon vs Paris Saint-Germain

Lyon (FRA)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2022/23): 2
How they qualified: French champions
Group stage: Group B winners (W9-0 a vs Slavia Praha, W2-0 h vs St. Pölten, W3-1 h vs Brann, D2-2 a vs Brann, W7-0 a vs St. Pölten, D2-2 h vs Slavia Praha)
Quarter-finals: W6-2agg vs Benfica (W2-1 a, W4-1 h)
Top scorer: Kadidiatou Diani (7)
Last season: Quarter-finals
Domestic honours: 16 x League champions, 10 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Winners (2010/11, 2011/12, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2021/22)
Semi-final record: W10 L2

Previous semi-finals

2021/22: W5-3agg vs Paris Saint-Germain (W3-2 h, W2-1 a)
2019/20: W1-0 vs Paris Saint-Germain (n, Bilbao)
2018/19: W3-2agg vs Chelsea (W2-1 h, D1-1 a)
2017/18: W1-0agg vs Manchester City (D0-0 a, W1-0 h)
2016/17: W3-2agg vs Manchester City (W3-1 a, L0-1 h)
2015/16: W8-0agg vs Paris Saint-Germain (W7-0 h, W1-0 a)
2012/13: W9-1agg vs Juvisy* (W3-0 h, W6-1 a)
2011/12: W5-1agg vs Turbine Potsdam (W5-1 h, D0-0 a)
2010/11: W5-2agg vs Arsenal (W2-0 h, W3-2 a)
2009/10: W3-2agg vs Umeå (W3-2 h, D0-0 a)
2008/09: L2-4agg vs Duisburg (D1-1 h, L1-3 a)
2007/08: L1-1agg, away goals vs Umeå (D1-1 h, D0-0 a)

*now Paris FC

Watch all Lyon's goals so far

Campaign in a nutshell

Lyon lost 5-1 at home to Arsenal on Matchday 1 last season but started with an even more emphatic away win this time around, defeating Slavia Praha 9-0. At Brann on Matchday 4, they failed to win after holding a two-goal lead for the first time since FC Lyon became Olympique Lyonnais, but their progress was still comfortable. After coming back to beat Benfica 2-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final, they were pushed hard in the return before two added-time goals by Kadidiatou Diani, prolific since her summer switch from Paris Saint-Germain, gave the scoreline a more comfortable look.

Coach: Sonia Bompastor

Bompastor's stellar playing career included winning 11 major honours in her two spells with Lyon, lifting the Champions League trophy as captain in 2011 and 2012. A midfielder who could also play in defence, Bompastor represented La Roche-sur-Yon, Montpellier, Washington Freedom and Paris Saint-Germain. Capped 156 times by France, she retired in 2013 and worked her way up the coaching ranks at Lyon before taking over the first team in 2021, winning the Champions League (the first to do so as player and head coach) and French league the following season as well as the French double in 2022/23.

Did you know?

Lyon hold most records in this competition. This season alone, they have equalled Arsenal's tally of 15 quarter-finals, extended their own best to 13 semi-finals and are now aiming for an 11th final and ninth title.

2022 semi-final second-leg highlights: Paris 1-2 Lyon

Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2022/23): 4
How they qualified: French runners-up; W4-2agg vs Manchester United (D1-1 a, W3-1 h)
Group stage: Group C winners (L0-2 a vs Ajax, L0-1 h vs Bayern, W2-1 h vs Roma, W3-1 a vs Roma, W3-1 h vs Ajax, D2-2 a vs Bayern)
Quarter-finals: W5-1agg vs Häcken (W2-1 a, W3-0 h)
Top scorer (group stage onward): Marie-Antoinette Katoto (5)
Last season: Quarter-finals
Domestic honours: 1 x League champions, 3 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Runners-up (2014/15, 2016/17)
Semi-final record: W2 L4

Previous semi-finals

2021/22: L3-5agg vs Lyon (L2-3 a, L1-2 h)
2020/21: L2-3agg vs Barcelona (D1-1 h, L1-2 a)
2019/20: L0-1 vs Lyon (n, Bilbao)
2016/17: W5-1agg vs Barcelona (W3-1 a, W2-0 h)
2015/16: L0-8agg vs Lyon (L0-7 a, L0-1 h)
2014/15: W3-2 vs Wolfsburg (W2-0 a, L1-2 h)

Paris' road to the semi-finals: Every goal

Campaign in a nutshell

The only one of the semi-finalists not to start directly in the group stage, Paris first had to overcome a tricky round 2 tie against debutants Manchester United. Things got no easier after they progressed as they lost their first two games to Ajax and Bayern respectively, but a late Georgia Stanway own goal secured top spot on Matchday 6. Häcken did not make life easy in the quarter-finals, but Paris, whose performances have improved steadily as the season has progressed, emerged triumphant.

Coach: Jocelyn Prêcheur

Prêcheur took over as head coach in September after his father Gerard (who Jocelyn was assisting) stepped down one game into the season. Before joining the Paris set-up in July 2022, Prêcheur had worked in China for five years as coach of Meizhou Hakka and Jiangsu Suning, having previously been a youth coach at Paris FC (helping set up the Juvisy academy in 1998) as well as an analyst at Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain (between 2010 and 2012). The mathematics and statistics graduate has also designed football analytics software.

Did you know?

Paris are the only team to have denied Lyon a French title since 2005/06, topping the table by a point on the final day in 2020/21.

2017 final: Lyon v Paris - Watch the full penalty shoot-out

Cup winners refers only to main FA national cup in each country.

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