Page 8 - Women's Soccer Scene No.11 2020-21

Chelsea have reached the semi finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the
second time after completing an aggregate victory over VfL Wolfsburg.
However Manchester City have reached the end of the road in this season’s
competition after they were unable to overturn a three-goal deficit from the first leg of
their tie against FC Barcelona.
Chelsea were first in action on Wednesday and their tie was precariously balanced
after the first leg with Emma Hayes’ side holding a 2-1 lead. A Wolfsburg goal would have
seen them take control of matters and it needed a clearance from Magdalena Eriksson to
prevent an early cross-cum-shot from crossing the line.
However on 27 minutes, Chelsea got the away goal they craved as Sam Kerr was
brought down by Sara Doorsen-Khajeh and although the challenge may have been just
outside the area, a penalty was awarded and Pernille Harder stepped up to send
Kiedrzynek the wrong way from the spot.
Four minutes later, it was two as Sam Kerr controlled a pass from Millie Bright
and turned to sweep a shot home and leave the German side with a mountain to climb.
After the break, Chelsea worked hard to cut Wolfsburg chances to a premium and
their day was crowned with a third goal, nine minutes from time. Ji So-Yun, not long on
as a substitute, threaded a pass into the path of Fran Kirby who made no mistake with a
clincal finish to put the seal on a fantastic result for her side.
Chelsea look likely to face more German opposition in the last four, with Bayern
Munich taking a 3-0 lead into return leg of their quarter final with FC Rosengard on
Thursday night.
Manchester City were looking to repair the damage done from their 3-0 defeat in
the first leg with Barcelona and made a bright start to the game in search of an early goal.
Barcelona had kept eleven successive clean sheets going into the match but this
record was ended on twenty minutes; an Alex Greenwood corner was not cleared and
after a scramble in front of goal, Janine Beckie was on hand to stab the ball home from
close range and give her side a lifeline.
Barcelona were looking sharp on the break though and it took a very timely block
from Lucy Bronze to keep them ahead as Asisat Oshoala looked to poised to score after
Ellie Roebuck had saved Caroline Graham Hansen’s initial shot.
Bronze once again denied Oshoala with another goal line clearance but Barcelona
were to get a goal which would effectively kill off the tie on the hour mark, a City clearance
was charged down and Hansen cut the ball across goal for Oshoala to finish off from close
range.
City got themselves back in front as Ellen White was bundled over in the area and
Sam Mewis sidefooted home the resulting penalty, but they still needed three more goals
and this proved to be too tough a task, although they were 2-1 winners on the day.
Barcelona will have to wait nearly three weeks to discover who their opponents
will be in the semi finals, when holders Olympique Lyonnais and Paris Saint-
Germain play the return match of their last eight tie. Lyon are leading 1-0 from the first
leg.
QUARTER FINALS SECOND LEG RESULTS:
VfL Wolfsburg 0 Chelsea 3 (agg 1-5)
Manchester City 2 Barcelona 1 (agg 2-4)
FC Rosengard 0 Bayern Munich 1 (agg 0-4)
Issue no. 11 - 1 April 2021 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk