UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE: Chelsea qualify for final, beat Barcelona on penalties (5-4) (Match Report)

Chelsea progress after defeating the defending champions Barcelona through penalty shoot-out having played 2-2 draw.

Outclassed by the Catalans in last year’s final, Chelsea showed the bloody-minded resilience that had been absent that day to twice come from behind before sending the reigning champions crashing out.

Barcelona will rue missed opportunities – twice in normal time they had the lead and twice the Blues hit back.

Anssumane Fati scored in both halves to put the holders in front but the Blues fought bravely to the end.

McCormick made it 1-1 and Brown fired into the roof of the net to make it 2-2 before Karlo Ziger provided the heroics again to save in the shoot-out.

The Blaugrana had the shootout advantage, too, after Gallagher’s early miss, but Gonzalez shot over before Ziger repelled Miranda’s effort.

It was a nerve-racking shoot-out for the Blues, with Gallagher missing first, but his team-mates were flawless from 12 yards and Ziger saved in sudden death to avenge last year’s defeat and send the Stamford Bridge club to the final.

The Blues will take on Porto in the final in Switzerland on Monday next week as they aim to win the trophy for a record third time.

Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Karlo Ziger; Joseph Colley, Marc Guehi, Ian Maatsen; Tariq Lamptey, Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Juan Castillo; Luke McCormick (c) (Tino Anjorin 72), George McEachran; Daishawn Redan (Charlie Brown 78)

Unused Subs: Nicolas Tie, George Nunn, Henry Lawrence, Marcel Lavinier, Jon Russell, Clinton Mola
Scorers McCormick 66; Brown 85
Booked Redan, Castillo

Barcelona (4-3-3): Arnau Tenas; Guillem Jaime, Oscar Mingueza, Mika Medina, Juan Miranda; Antonio Jesus, Jandro Orellana, Monchu (c) (Lucas de Vega 80); Konrad De La Fuente (Peque 83), Alejandro Marques, Anssumane Fati

Unused Subs: Sergi Rosanas, Pol Tristan Jimenez, Nicolas Gonzalez, Jose Martinez Marsa, Nils Mortimer
Scorer Fati 20, 69
Booked Antonio Jesus, Monchu, Miranda

Referee Denis Silva Puig

Photo Credit: uefa.com