Maren Mjelde had to watch the 2021 final from the stands with an injury. Already after 35 minutes of play, she saw national team colleague Caroline Graham Hansen send Barcelona up to a 4-0 lead at Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg. From the bench, Guro Reiten came in after the break, but neither he nor other Chelsea players were able to breathe life into the game, which was still 4–0. – What happened in the first half is hard to swallow. It will be a difficult experience, but that’s how it is, Reiten told news during the national team meeting earlier in April. Two years later comes the opportunity for revenge, this time in the semi-finals. The first match will be played in London on Saturday, before the return leg will be played in Barcelona on Thursday next week. – Would have probably supplanted it During the national team meeting, it was precisely at Gamla Ullevi that Norway played 3-3 against Sweden. When the Norwegian players landed in Gothenburg, Mjelde asked her teammate if she remembered the last time they landed at the airport in the Swedish city. The answer was no. – She had probably repressed it, says Mjelde with a smile. She becomes more serious when she talks about the final. – It was two years ago and we didn’t have a good experience here. It was painful and heavy to sit and watch. But you learn from everything, don’t you? OUT ON THE GRASS: Maren Mjelde (number two from the left) was out on the pitch after the final loss. Photo: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / AFP Mjelde redda Chelsea This season, Reiten himself has really stood out as a key player for Chelsea, with five goals and nine assists in 15 games in the series. – You never know what happens in football. We’ve learned a lot, gotten a lot better, but so have they, since we last met. It is difficult to make any predictions, but we will in any case try to bite off as best we can. We have players with extreme skills who can decide any match, says Reiten. In the quarter-finals of the Champions League, it was Mjelde who became the savior. Seven minutes into overtime in the second extra round against Lyon, he was cold from the penalty spot and sent the match to a penalty shootout. There she opened by scoring Chelsea’s first penalty and helped send Ada Hegerberg’s Lyon out. – Two gigantic showdowns With Barcelona as opponents in the semi-finals, the Chelsea players will once again have a meeting with their national team colleagues. Ingrid Syrstad Engen and Caroline Graham Hansen play for the Spanish team. – There will be two gigantic settlements. We are very happy. Playing for a final in the Champions League, it doesn’t get much bigger than that right now, says Syrstad Engen. CRUSHING SAYS: Caroline Graham Hansen scored the last goal of the match when Barcelona won 4-0 in the final two years ago. Photo: Martin Meissner / AP – Chelsea are one of the toughest teams you can face right now. They have some extremely hot people at the top and they improve every season. I think it will probably be a tougher match and they are also more prepared for what they will encounter, she says further. Reiten himself also believes that Chelsea are better and points to the matches they get on a daily basis in the English series, where Chelsea are currently four points behind league leaders Manchester United with two games less played. – I would think you are a bit vindictive? – Yes. There is nothing that should not be left out on that track. I can promise that, Reiten says energetically.
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