Blackjack is a game of stick or twist. Hit 21 and you have executed the perfect game plan, stick and you may have played it too safe. Twist and you could go bust.
It is a tricky balance to strike, not least when you are trailing 1-0 going into an away Champions League second leg semi-final in front of a raucous 72,262 fans at Barcelona’s Camp Nou.
There were concerns that the Chelsea line up, chosen by Emma Hayes, was too conservative. Barcelona know how to play against teams that drop off. You cannot help but think — why not just have a go? But that is a risky scenario, one which leaves you vulnerable to being ripped apart.
Chelsea during the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final second leg match between FC Barcelona on April 27, 2023 (Photo: Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Barcelona have done that to other teams in ruthless fashion. Before this game, the 2022 Champions League finalists had won every game at Camp Nou and recorded frightening scorelines of 5-2, 5-1, 3-0, 6-0 and 5-1. That is 24 goals, an average of 4.8 per game. Although Chelsea’s 2-1 aggregate defeat saw them knocked out of the competition, the 1-1 draw was the first time Barcelona have failed to win a game at Camp Nou.
The whistles within Barcelona’s fortress were piercing. Whenever Chelsea…
