Chelsea eased into the Champions League semi-finals regardless of being held to a 1-1 draw by Ajax at Stamford Bridge – with a attainable reunion in opposition to Barcelona awaiting them within the subsequent spherical.
Emma Hayes’ Blues held a three-goal lead from the primary leg in Amsterdam and a much-changed facet made that 4 earlier than half-time in entrance of over 11,000 followers in west London – with Mayra Ramirez opening the scoring on her Champions League debut for the membership.
Chelsea confronted a number of first-half scares earlier than Ramirez’s opener and have been ultimately pegged again when Chasity Grant completed under goalkeeper Zecira Musovic. The draw means the Blues are denied the possibility to equal their best-ever European run of consecutive wins.
However, extra importantly, they transfer into the final 4 of the Champions League, the place Brann or Barcelona – who knocked Hayes’ Blues out of this competitors final season within the semi-finals – await the Ladies’s Tremendous League leaders. The semi-finals are scheduled for the weekends of April 20/21 and April 27/28.
“If you look at our record in the Champions League, even in the last five seasons, it’s only once we didn’t qualify for the group and reached the latter stages every year,” supervisor Hayes mentioned at full-time.
“We must be at this degree, we must be on the semi-finals. We now have a bit bit extra depth now to make six modifications and do what we did tonight.
“We haven’t won anything, I don’t know who the opponent will be. But we’re ready.”
And Chelsea’s quest for a quadruple rumbles on – with the possibility to win one of many 4 accessible trophies on Sunday after they play Arsenal within the Continental Cup last at Molineux.
How Chelsea obtained the job accomplished
This was no procession for Chelsea as Ajax began the stronger.
Captain Sherida Spitse headed onto the roof of the online, earlier than Romee Leuchter fired broad from contained in the field after muscling Kadeisha Buchanan off the ball. Chelsea then went shut on the different finish as Erin Cuthbert fired Aggie Beever-Jones’ cross broad on the close to put up – however Ajax stored coming.
Chelsea goalkeeper Musovic, who had a number of poor early touches of the ball, was practically left red-faced when she clattered a Cuthbert back-pass straight into Tiny Hoekstra and the ball began rolling in direction of the aim line. Fortunately for the Swede, the ricochet simply missed on the close to put up.
That probability gave Chelsea a wake-up name and Guro Reiten fired broad of the far put up from contained in the field after good work from Beever-Jones, who was then denied two one-on-one probabilities by last-ditch challenges from Spitse and Kay-Lee de Sanders.
However Chelsea’s opener lastly got here as Ajax gifted the ball too simply to Reiten, who slipped Ramirez in on aim to complete previous Ajax goalkeeper Regina van Eijk.
The Colombian striker might have made it two as she met Beever-Jones’ scrumptious early cross – however couldn’t get sufficient contact to faucet dwelling from a number of yards out.
With doubtlessly one eye on Sunday’s last with Arsenal, Chelsea have been extra relaxed after the break.
That allowed Ajax again into the second-half contest, with Hoekstra taking part in in Grant for a one-on-one, together with her end underneath Musovic bringing the Dutch facet degree on the night time.
Ajax might have taken the lead – and consigned Chelsea to a uncommon defeat in 90 minutes – however discovered Musovic in impressed type. First, Leuchter minimize inside brilliantly from the left and fired for the highest nook, with Musovic pulling off an excellent reflex save to disclaim her.
The Chelsea goalkeeper repeated the feat when substitute Danique Tolhoek tried a really comparable transfer. Once more, a shocking save matched a testing strike.
Catarina Macario got here off the bench and practically discovered a winner late on, however noticed her effort saved by Van Eijk.
And Chelsea got here via this routine task fear and injury-free – forward of a mammoth season run-in to return.
Hayes: Ramirez has given me squad headache for cup last
Chelsea supervisor Emma Hayes:
“I’m happy for Mayra, it’s her debut. She was excited about tonight and happy for the goal. She gives me selection problems for the weekend!
“We love profitable. I like saying this to the gamers, I do not care who scores. We now have to depend on everybody nearly all through the season.
“I trust the squad and I trust the players. Some absolutely needed to recover this evening, I’m really happy for the whole squad.
“We now have extra variety within the squad. Extra attacking choices. Extra selection, that is most likely on the coronary heart of it. Extra expertise.
“We’ve been at the latter stages so many times. We know where we have to be to play in those sort of games.”
When are the Champions League semi-finals?
April 20/21: Champions League semi-finals first leg
April 27/28: Champions League semi-finals second leg
Might 25: Champions League last – San Mames, Bilbao
What’s subsequent for Chelsea?
Hayes now has a most of 11 matches remaining as Chelsea supervisor, with the membership nonetheless searching a historic quadruple between now and Might 25.
Subsequent up is the chase for them to raise the Continental Cup as they tackle Arsenal within the last this Sunday at Molineux, kick-off 3pm.