The Blues touched down in Spain on Wednesday evening trailing by a single goal after the first leg at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Caroline Graham Hansen’s early strike made the difference on the day and gives the Spaniards a narrow lead at half-time in the tie.

It could have been a very different outcome and we responded strongly to falling behind early on. Guro Reiten’s equaliser was ruled out for offside, before the Norwegian saw a second effort cleared when it seemed destined for the target.

• The game kicks off at 5.45pm (UK time) and can be watched on the DAZN live stream on our website and app

Shortly after arriving in Barcelona, Hayes addressed the media who had gathered at the Camp Nou. A variety of topics were on the table, but our manager emphasised the focus is firmly on what we can do as a team to get the desired result on Thursday night.

‘This is what we work for. We work to be in these positions. We know it’s going to be a quick pitch, a big pitch. We know they are going to dominate the ball. We know the areas we have to improve on to get opportunities and we have players capable of doing that.

‘We have to accept that we will have to suffer. For us as a team, we’ve shown in the previous game we can defend and we’ve got to do it at an even higher level.’

Hayes would certainly welcome an early goal in our favour, however she was quick to emphasise the importance of staying composed at crucial points in the match while focusing on achieving the right levels of performance.

‘Of course it would help. We understand that most teams when they come here inevitably are going to be put in difficult situations. It’s important for us to be calm, whether it’s moments that don’t go very well or moments where we don’t have the ball, or moments where perhaps momentum is in favour of Barcelona.

‘They are a world class team, you have to stay in the game. You’ve seen it when Roma have come here, maybe Wolfsburg last year, Bayern Munich. We have to use all of our experience in the right situations. If an early goal comes fantastic, but we’re focusing on getting the performance right.’

There is still everything to play for as ourselves and Barcelona eye a place at the final in Eindhoven. Fully aware of the characters we have within the squad, Hayes is confident that if we play to our potential then we give ourselves every chance to progress.

‘It’s a football match, the game is 1-0. We have a fair and equal chance to do that. Nobody denies they are a fabulous team that have an amazing history, particularly here.

'I know the dressing room that we have and I know that every single player plays at a very high level. If we perform at the levels we expect for ourselves, then we will make it a competitive game.’