Chelsea are into the Ladies’s Champions League semi-finals for the fifth time in seven seasons as Emma Hayes seeks to land the final word prize in membership soccer earlier than departing to take cost of america ladies’s nationwide staff this summer season.
With Chelsea at present main the WSL, set to contest the Conti Cup closing on Sunday after which the FA Cup semi-finals in mid-April, the dream of a quadruple stays inside Hayes’ grasp.
The rotated Blues efficiently noticed off Ajax of their quarter-final tie, drawing 1-1 on the evening after already doing the majority of the work with a 3-0 first leg victory in Amsterdam per week in the past.
Chelsea had been defensively shaky within the early levels at Stamford Bridge and will have seen their mixture lead lower into on a number of events, notably when Romee Leuchter missed a wonderful likelihood after which as Tiny Hoekstra charged down a clearance from goalkeeper Zecira Musovic.
Any rising nerves from these on the pitch, within the dugout and within the stands had been eased when Mayra Ramirez, doubtlessly the world’s most costly participant if all of the add-ons included in her £425,000 switch from Levante are met, calmly completed from Guro Reiten’s move.
That purpose took the tie past Ajax, however the Dutch guests nonetheless sensed blood and the potential for a well-known consequence at Stamford Bridge. Chasity Grant was the grateful recipient of some extra suspect goalkeeping from Musovic, again within the facet after shedding her ordinary beginning place earlier this season, when a tame end slipped via the Swede’s palms.
Because it occurs, Musovic made a world class save quarter-hour later to disclaim Ajax the lead on the evening, acrobatically tipping Leuchter’s curling end large of the far submit. She appeared decided to not let the guests previous her once more and one other beautiful save on the finish stored out substitute Danique Tolhoek.
Hayes gained this competitors throughout its UEFA Ladies’s Cup guise whereas an assistant coach at Arsenal again in 2007. However it stays the one trophy lacking from the trophy cupboard she has constructed at Chelsea, coming closest in 2021 when her staff reached the ultimate, solely to be demolished 4-1 by Barcelona.
With the complete knockout bracket mapped out when the quarter-final draw was made, Chelsea are anticipated to face Barcelona within the final 4. The reigning European champions haven’t but secured their semi-final place however maintain a 2-1 mixture lead over Norwegian facet SK Brann forward of Thursday evening’s second leg on the Johan Cruyff Stadium. Brann did extremely effectively to frustrate the likes of Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Hansen, however Barca are heavy favourites at dwelling.
Eight-time Champions League winners Lyon have booked their place within the different semi-final after a 6-2 mixture win over Benfica. They may meet home rivals Paris Saint-Germain or Swedish facet BK Hacken within the final 4, with PSG main that tie 2-1 forward of Thursday’s decisive leg in France.
This season’s closing can be staged on the 53,000-capacity San Mames in Bilbao on Saturday 25 Might. Final season’s closing between Barcelona and Wolfsburg, watched by 33,147 followers at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, was the primary time the showpiece occasion had bought out its host venue, whereas the document attendance for a closing is 50,212 when Lyon beat FFC Frankfurt at Munich’s Olympiastadion in 2012.
