There is plenty the team can be proud of in the performance. A disciplined and determined display kept the dangerous Barcelona attack at bay until just over an hour into the game, and then when the home side took the lead, the Blues quickly retaliated with a Guro Reiten goal that kept the tie boiling right to the end.

Emma Hayes’s message around the first leg had been for her side to stay in the tie against highly fancied opposition. In the first half in the Camp Nou they did just that despite being severely tested. Barcelona had the ball for long periods and forced the Blues into a lot of defending but despite facing nine shots, we reached half-time goalless.

The Spanish side would have been ruing misses from good positions by Asisat Oshoala and Maria Caldentey but first-leg goalscorer Caroline Graham Hansen did find the net in the second half from a slick counter-attack.

However, despite limited openings for Sam Kerr in the game, the Blues carved out one chance for our main goalscorer and although that was saved, Reiten made it count.

After that equaliser the Blues looked more dangerous than at any point in the tie but the vital second goal did not come. At the final whistle Barcelona certainly knew they had been in a game.

The selection

Emma Hayes made just one personnel change from the Stamford Bridge first game. Jessie Fleming was preferred to Jelena Cankovic, while the shape remained similar with three at the back and Guro Reiten the main support for Sam Kerr in attack.

Barcelona were forced into one of their three changes by Lucy Bronze's injury. Marta Torrejon was her replacement and captained their side. Mariona Caldentey and Asisat Oshoala, substitutes up front in the first leg, did enough to retain their places.

Blues survive early shots

A big task faced Chelsea ahead of kick-off. In-form Barcelona were playing in front of a sizable home support but not a full Camp Nou, and had a one-goal lead in the tie to defend.

A positive first few minutes for Hayes’s side was punctuated by Barcelona striker Oshoala firing a shot across the face of our goal, and that was the switch for the Spaniards to put the Blues under sustained pressure.

Graham Hansen scored early at the Bridge but her handball before putting a Fridolina Rolfo cross into our net prevented her repeating that feat tonight. Then Oshoala shot over Berger’s bar when very well placed.

A couple of stoppages for injury halted the advance and Chelsea enjoyed some settling time on the ball. We reached the midway point of the first half with the second leg still scoreless.

Before long Barca spurned another good opportunity when the continuingly dangerous Graham Hansen profited from a Niamh Charles slip to cross. Aitana Bonmati dummied but the better-placed Maria Caldentey shot over the target.

Bonmati then scythed through our defences skilfully but her cross was cleared behind by Melanie Leupolz. The Barca midfielder later went for goal herself but shot wide.

Signs in attack

Towards half-time we enjoyed some good moments passing the ball around deep in the opposition half, and Kerr set up Fleming for a shooting opportunity which she could not take. Even so it was something to build on for after the break.

Hayes had been able to speak to her players a couple of times from the touchline and now had longer with them to emphasise the second-half plan. Unlike in the first leg, the Chelsea manager made no substitution at half-time.

The home side started the second half on the front foot with a Rolfo shot past Berger’s far post. Graham Hansen shot off-target after more Blues possession inside the Spaniards’ half.

Sadly, when we broke out to win a corner the referee blew up for a foul in the penalty area melee before the delivery arrived.

Running Barca close

With just over an hour played, the goal that at times had been threatened by Barcelona duly arrived, and it came from a break initiated by their goalkeeper. Caldentey’s quick touch allowed Bonmati to attack the space and as soon she found Graham Hansen out wide, the Norwegian's second goal of the tie was there for the taking. Jess Carter did well to get to the shot on the line but was unlucky when one leg diverted the ball onto the other and in.

Many must have thought the tie was over at that point, but the Blues hit back just four minutes later.

A lovely ball over the defence by Leupolz set Kerr away and although a strong touch and then a save by Sandra Panos prevented the Australian from scoring, Reiten was there to lash the loose ball in. We were just one goal behind in the tie again.

Kerr then had a shot on the run blocked and Lauren James and Pernille Harder came on to add to the goalscoring potential. The game became open and end to end like never before.

Erin Cuthbert shot straight at Panos and James fired from distance but well over, and sadly time ran out. Berger saved well from substitute Geyse towards the end.

We are out of Europe, but back home a possible league and cup double remains very much on.

What's next?

There is a weekend to recover and then it is back to the WSL title quest on Wednesday evening. Liverpool are the visitors to Kingsmeadow for a rearranged fixture after a frozen pitch intervened back in the winter. Kick-off is 7.15pm.

Chelsea (3-5-2):Berger; Carter, Mjelde, Eriksson; Perisset (Rytting Kaneryd 82), Cuthbert, Leupolz, Fleming, Charles; Reiten, Kerr.

Unused subs Musovic, Orman, Abdullina, Cankovic, Ingle, Harder, James.

Scorer Reiten 67

Booked Reiten 18, Cuthbert 90

Barcelona (4-3-3):Panos; Torrejon (c) (Crnogorcevic 73), Paredes, Leon, Rolfo; Bonmati (Geyse 84), Walsh (Syrstad Engen 60), Guijarro; Graham Hansen, Oshoala (Paralluelo 60), Caldentey.

Unused subs Coll, Codina Panedas, Fernandez, Pina, Putellas, Vilamala, Rabana, Lopez.

Scorer Graham Hansen 63

Referee Esther Staubli from Switzerland