Chelsea took management of their Champions League quarter-final tie with a formidable 3-0 victory over Ajax at Johan Cruyff Area.
Lauren James opened the scoring early on and Chelsea by no means appeared again, with Sjoeke Nusken netting both facet of half-time to safe what ended up being a snug win.
Guro Reiten additionally noticed a objective dominated out for offside in a efficiency which can fill Chelsea with confidence forward of the return leg.
How the sport unfolded
Ajax got here out with vitality and had the primary actual sight of objective simply six minutes in when Ajax’s all-time prime scorer Romee Leuchter struck the publish with a wise strike from the sting of the field. Blues stopper Hannah Hampton was crushed.
With Chelsea struggling to get a grip on the sport, up stepped James to assist out as soon as once more. The celebrity ahead rounded Regina van Eijk and tapped into an empty web which, after the offside flag was initially raised, was finally allowed to face after a VAR examine.
Hampton had a handful of nervy moments with the ball at her toes and was relieved to not get caught out by Lily Yohannes. The teenage midfielder, who picked up a yellow card which can see her suspended for the return fixture, could not management her effort and skied effectively over the body of the objective.
Sjoeke Nusken ought to have carried out higher with a header in the direction of the tip of the primary half. Eve Perisset’s free kick discovered her unmarked within the Ajax field however Nusken did not maintain her effort on course.
With 5 minutes till the break, Reiten thought she had doubled Chelsea’s benefit. James’ whipped cross was mis-hit by the winger, who made no mistake on the second time of asking when the ball dropped happily at her toes, however a prolonged VAR examine in the end determined the offside Nusken was interfering with play.
Nearly instantly after, nonetheless, Reiten and Nusken mixed for a wonderfully good objective. Reiten drilled in a low cross and the German managed to poke the ball past Van Eijk at hand Chelsea a 2-0 lead on the interval.
Nusken despatched an effort hovering over the bar on the hour mark, earlier than each James and Erin Cuthbert noticed long-range strikes comfortably saved.
Chelsea missed one other nice probability when Cuthbert despatched Reiten’s cross flying over the bar, however the third objective lastly got here late on when Nusken rose highest to go residence Catarina Macario’s cross to provide the Blues an imposing lead heading into the second leg.
GK: Hannah Hampton – 5/10 – Not significantly busy together with her fingers however Hampton had a handful of shaky moments with the ball at her toes.
RB: Eve Perisset – 7/10 – Defensively strong and lively in assault. Performed in some scrumptious crosses.
CB: Jess Carter – 7/10 – Actually vocal on the again. Might be heard barking orders to these round her to maintain Chelsea organised.
CB: Kadeisha Buchanan – 8/10 – Lively in opposition to Ajax’s vigorous forwards. Pulled out some sensational passes to assist Chelsea flip defence into assault.
LB: Niamh Charles – 6/10 – Wasn’t as concerned as she would have preferred however did not precisely get a lot unsuitable. Marshalled her wing effectively.
CM: Melanie Leupolz – 7/10 – The deepest of Chelsea’s midfielders, Leupolz wasn’t significantly concerned going forwards however as a substitute supplied a dependable display in entrance of the defence.
CM: Erin Cuthbert – 8/10 – Buzzed round together with her typical vitality to maintain Chelsea on prime of the midfield battle. Joyful to drop again to do the soiled work earlier than sprinting ahead to hitch the assault.
CM: Sjoeke Nusken – 9/10 – Recent off silencing Arsenal, Nusken loved one other prime efficiency. A monster in assault and will have simply had greater than the 2 targets.
RW: Johanna Rytting Kaneryd – 7/10 – Most of Chelsea’s finest work got here down the other wing, however Kaneryd nonetheless offered a number of moments of actual high quality.
ST: Lauren James – 8/10 – Sometimes unplayable in each a central function and when drifting out vast. Took her objective effectively and was unlucky to not choose up an help for Reiten’s disallowed effort.
LW: Guro Reiten – 8/10 – Did her common Reiten issues. A artistic pressure out vast and lively within the field.
Substitutes
SUB: Ashley Lawrence (74′ for Kaneryd) – 7/10
SUB: Catarina Macario (74′ for James) – 7/10
SUB: Jelena Cankovic (84′ for Cuthbert) – N/A
SUB: Aggie Beever-Jones (87′ for Charles) – N/A
SUB: Sophie Ingle (87′ for Leupolz) – N/A
Subs not used: Zecira Musovic (GK), Katie Cox (GK), Fran Kirby
Supervisor
Emma Hayes – 8/10 – After using their luck early on, Chelsea rapidly took management of this tie. Constructed the midfield stability completely and the substitutes helped put the Blues again on prime when Ajax have been threatening to get again into the sport.
