Chelsea FCW

Chelsea progressed to the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals for the second season in a row and for the fifth time in the last seven seasons with a 4-1 aggregate win over Ajax.

The second leg finished 1-1 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening after the Blues had won 3-0 in Amsterdam in the first leg last week. 

Mayra Ramirez had given the hosts the lead in the first half before Chasity Grant deservedly equalised for the visitors after the break.

The Dutch side had the first chance of the match when their captain Sherida Spitse headed a corner onto the roof of the net in the 3rd minute.

Chelsea’s first opportunity came a minute later when Isa Kardinaal gave the ball away to Fran Kirby but her pass was overhit and went behind for a goal kick.

In the 9th minute, the hosts went close to going ahead on the night but Erin Cuthbert’s effort went narrowly wide of the post.

Ajax went close to scoring themselves in the 17th minute when Romee Leuchter’s shot from 12-yards drifted the wrong side of the woodwork.

The visitors went even closer to finding the net a minute later when Zecira Musovic’s clearance rebounded off the charging in Tiny Hoekstra and went inches wide.

At the other end, Guro Reiten’s shot across goal went not far wide after good build up from Aggie Beever-Jones on the right-side in the 23rd minute.

Kay-Lee De Sanders made a good tackle to stop a Chelsea attack a minute later.  Beever-Jones then couldn’t get the ball under control in the area after being played in and it was cleared by Ajax.

The Blues did take the lead in the 33rd minute when Reiten played in Ramirez and the Colombian calmly rolled the ball low through Regina van Ejik’s legs and into the corner of the net to score her first Champions League goal for the club. 

Jonna Van de Valde saw her effort from 25-yards go high and wide for the visitors in the 39th minute. 

Three minutes before half time, Beever-Jones put in a lovely cross from the right which Ramirez couldn’t finish from in front of goal.

In the final minute of the half, Leuchter’s shot on the turn flew wide of the far post for the Dutch side.

Ajax had the first chance of the second half six minutes into it but Leuchter’s low shot went straight at Musovic. 

Kadeisha Buchanan acrobatically cleared an Ajax cross in the 58th minute as the visitors looked to find a way back into the tie.  Chelsea’s defence wasn’t looking that convincing at times but Ajax weren’t having that many clear chances in the second half.

That was until the 65th minute when Grant’s low shot from the edge of the area went through the hands of Musovic and into the net for the visitors equaliser. 

Danique Noordam had the Dutch sides next chance in the 77th minute but her low shot lacked power and trickled into the hands of Musovic. 

The Chelsea keeper made a great save in the 80th minute when she turned Leuchter’s shot wide of the post after the Dutch player had turned Jess Carter in the area. 

Musovic was by far the busier goalkeeper in the second half, and in the 83rd minute she palmed away Soraya Verhoeve’s deep cross.

The hosts first effort at goal in the second half came in the 86th minute but van Eijk easily kept out Catarina Macario’s low shot.

Musovic made another really good save in the 88th minute when she pushed Danique Tolhoek’s shot from the edge of the area wide.

In the five minutes of stoppage time, Macario was played in but Ajax’s goalkeeper rushed out to deny her.  Verhoeve then made a good tackle to stop Johanna Rytting Kaneryd as she attacked. 

These turned out to be the final opportunities of the match as Chelsea progressed to the last four of the Champions League.

When speaking to the press after the match, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said she was happy for Ramirez and her performance might cause her selection problems for weekend.

Hayes felt both sides could have scored more. She observed that there was disruption with amount of changes made (6) and they were too transitional.

The Blues manager added that they love winning, no one cares who scores, she trusts and is happy for the whole squad. 

Hayes praised Musovic for her second half saves and concluded by saying that Chelsea expect to be at this stage of competition.

Ajax head coach Suzanne Bakker said she was “proud of their performance”, they learnt from last week, and the second half was better than first.

She felt they created lots of chances and were still trying to win at the end.  Bakker added she never doubted her team and they played in a convincing way.

Line-ups

Chelsea: Musovic, Perisset, Carter, Buchanan (Nusken 66’), Lawrence, Cuthbert (c), Ingle, Beever-Jones (Rytting Kaneryd 76’), Kirby, Reiten (Cankovic 66’), Ramirez (Macario 66’)

Unused substitutes: Hampton, Berger, Leupolz, James, Charles

Goal – Ramirez 33’

Booked - Perisset

Ajax: Van Eijk, Kardinaal (Verhoeve 76’), Spitse (c), de Sanders (Tolhoek 87’), de Klonia (Keijzer 46’), Noordam (Noordman 68’), van Gool, van de Velde, Grant, Leuchter, T. Hoekstra (Keukelaar 68’)

Unused substitutes: Nienhuis, van der Wal, I. Hoekstra, Jansen, Sabajo

Goal – Grant 65’

Referee – Tess Olofsson

Attendance – 11,820