Barcelona takes a commanding 4-1 lead over Chelsea in Women's Champions League semifinals series

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona recovered from a missed penalty by Alexia Putellas to take a commanding 4-1 lead over Chelsea in the Women’s Champions League semifinals on Sunday.

Putellas had her penalty kick saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton in the 12th minute but the Catalan club rallied with a pair of goals by substitute Claudia Pina and one each from Ewa Pajor and Irene Paredes.

Sandy Baltimore scored for Chelsea.

“No winning scoreline is enough,” Barcelona coach Pere Romeu said. “There’s huge evidence in soccer that you can’t ever rely on a first-leg lead. We are going to have a beautiful battle over there at Stamford Bridge.”

Chelsea will host the return semifinal leg next Sunday and the winner on aggregate will advance to the final in Lisbon next month.

It was the eighth straight win for defending champion Barcelona in the European women's competition. It has scored 40 goals across those eight consecutive wins since losing 2-0 to Manchester City.

Barcelona and Chelsea are meeting in the last four for the third consecutive season. Barcelona has advanced each time.

“I still believe in my team and my players, 100%,” Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor said. "It’ll be difficult, but the main goal is to score early in the return leg. In football everything is possible, so let’s try to win the game and, if we score early, maybe we can put Barcelona under pressure.”

Pajor opened the scoring in the 35th and Pina added to the lead in the 70th, not long after entering the match.

Baltimore pulled the visitors closer four minutes later, but Paredes gave Barcelona a two-goal lead again in the 82nd.

Pina added a fourth in the 90th at the Johan Cruyff stadium.

“When I’m on the bench, we’ve already spent a whole week analyzing a rival like Chelsea," Pina said. "You have lots of ideas in your head. When the game goes on, you progress those ideas and look at where your teammates are already creating gaps in the opponents’ defense.”

In the other semifinal series, Lyon weathered a second-half rally by Arsenal to claim a 2-1 away win on Saturday, putting the record eight-time champions on course for another Women's Champions League title match.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton holds the ball during the women's Champions League semifinals, first leg, soccer match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, in Sant Joan Despi, outside Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Bagu Blanco)

Barcelona's Ingrid Syrstad Engen vies for the ball with Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez, left, during the women's Champions League semifinals, first leg, soccer match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, in Sant Joan Despi, outside Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Bagu Blanco)

Barcelona's Claudia Pina celebrates after scoring her side's fourth goal during the women's Champions League semifinals, first leg, soccer match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, in Sant Joan Despi, outside Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Bagu Blanco)

Barcelona's Claudia Pina celebrates on the shoulders of Alexia Putellas, left, after scoring her side's fourth goal during the women's Champions League semifinals, first leg, soccer match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, in Sant Joan Despi, outside Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Bagu Blanco)

Barcelona's Irene Paredes, center, celebrates after scoring her side's third goal during the women's Champions League semifinals, first leg, soccer match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, in Sant Joan Despi, outside Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Bagu Blanco)

Chelsea's Lucy Bronze falls to the ground next to Barcelona's Ewa Pajor during the women's Champions League semifinals, first leg, soccer match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, in Sant Joan Despi, outside Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Bagu Blanco)

Barcelona's Irene Paredes runs after the ball during the women's Champions League semifinals, first leg, soccer match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, in Sant Joan Despi, outside Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Bagu Blanco)

Barcelona's Fridolina Rolfo and Patri Guijarro, right, celebrate after defeating Chelsea 4-1 in their women's Champions League semifinals, first leg, soccer match at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, in Sant Joan Despi, outside Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Bagu Blanco)

Barcelona's Alexia Putellas, 2nd right, celebrates with teammates Ingrid Syrstad Engen and Patri Guijarro, right, after defeating Chelsea 4-1 in their women's Champions League semifinals, first leg, soccer match at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, in Sant Joan Despi, outside Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Bagu Blanco)

Barcelona's Ingrid Syrstad Engen, Claudia Pina, Ewa Pajor and Patri Guijarro, from left, celebrate after defeating Chelsea 4-1 in their women's Champions League semifinals, first leg, soccer match at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, in Sant Joan Despi, outside Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Bagu Blanco)

CANNES, France (AP) — This year's Cannes Film Festival just got going this week, but it's already been an attention-grabbing affair, from new rules for its red carpets, nerves about potential U.S. tariffs and the return of Tom Cruise.

And that says nothing about the films, expected to be a strong slate as Cannes is seen as increasingly important to the Oscars' best picture hopefuls.

Even in a normal year, Cannes is a lot to keep up with. Here's a handy guide of what's happened so far, what to expect and what it may mean.

Cannes opened Tuesday with a starry tribute to Robert De Niro, 49 years after “Taxi Driver” won the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or. De Niro used the platform to assail U.S. President Donald Trump, a frequent target of his criticism.

He also basked in the adoration of some of film's elite, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Quentin Tarantino.

Cannes debuted a complex 4K restoration of “The Gold Rush,” one of Charlie Chaplin’s most beloved silent masterpieces, timed to the film's 100th anniversary. “Our grandfather would be really proud to see this, a hundred years later, to see all you here and interested in seeing the film,” said Kiera Chaplin to a packed screening Tuesday.

Tom Cruise took the spotlight on Day 2 with the latest “Mission: Impossible” installment, “Final Reckoning.” For such a high-flying franchise, Cruise kept his feet on the ground (so far) ahead of the film's premiere. That kept up with a recent trend — gone are the days of fighter jet flyovers, Jerry Seinfeld in a bee costume and other big stunts.

On Thursday, news broke that the festival had barred French actor Théo Navarro-Mussy from attending the premiere of the competition entry “Case 137” in what's believed to be a first for the festival in the #MeToo era. Navarro-Mussy has been accused of rape in a case that remains on appeal.

On Friday, Bono premiered his documentary, “Bono: Stories of Surrender." In a wide-ranging interview, the rock superstar talked about the insights the project has given him (including a deeper appreciation for his late father), his concerns about the dismantling of USAID and his first impression of Pope Leo XIV.

Ari Aster also debuted his COVID-era film “Eddington” to mixed reviews.

AP Film Writer Jake Coyle broke down some of the key things about the festival in a thorough primer. Among the things to watch out for: any effects of Trump's talk about tariffs on foreign-made films at the world's largest film market. The festival serves as the start of Oscar season and there's a packed field vying for this year's Palme d'Or.

Outside of competition, there's some starry first-time directors: Scarlett Johansson with “Eleanor the Great,” Kristen Stewart with “The Chronology of Water” and Harris Dickinson with “Urchin.”

Their films are not in the main competition, but as Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho told Coyle about debuting a film at Cannes: “You release a film into that Colosseum-like situation.” He noted premiering a movie at the festival is akin to “a potential invitation to a beheading.”

One of the buzziest moves by Cannes this year so far has been its proclamation that nudity is banned by festivalgoers and so too are “voluminous” outfits, in particular those with a large train.

The move to ban nude looks comes amid the “naked dress” trend on red carpets, including Bianca Censori's Grammys look and many of the outfits worn by Vanity Fair party attendees after the Oscars.

Cannes press officers said earlier this week the festival “made explicit in its charter certain rules that have long been in effect.”

So how did stars at Cannes respond?

Halle Berry, who is on the festival jury headed by Juliette Binoche, told reporters she would abide by it and had changed her opening night look.

While risque looks were in short supply Monday, there were certainly some “voluminous outfits,” including dresses worn by Heidi Klum, Chinese actor Wan QianHui and others.

For more coverage of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, visit https://apnews.com/hub/cannes-film-festival.

Leonardo DiCaprio, left, and jury president Juliette Binoche pose for photographers during the opening ceremony of the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Wan QianHui poses for photographers during the opening ceremony red carpet of the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Tom Cruise, left, and director Christopher McQuarrie pose for photographers during the photo call for the film 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Hannah Waddingham poses for photographers during the photo call for the film 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Jury president Molly Manning Walker poses for photographers at the photo call for the Un Certain Regard jury at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)