Chelsea Women secure Champions League semi-final spot with stunning comeback against Man City | OneFootball

Chelsea Women scored three goals at Stamford Bridge to complete an emphatic comeback over Manchester City, winning 3-2 on aggregate.

Sonia Bompastor’s side had a dominant start to the game, causing Manchester City all sorts of problems and even hitting the post through a Nathalie Bjorn header in the opening 10 minutes.

Nick Cushing’s side had no answers to Chelsea’s continuous pressure in the opening stages, with Sandy Baltimore’s venomous strike flying into the top right corner to give the Blues the lead in the 14th minute.

The stadium errupted as the ball flew into the back of the net. While still losing 2-1 on aggregate, the fans at Stamford Bridge could sense that City were there for the taking.

While Chelsea’s attackers kept threatening City’s backline, Mary Fowler drew an incredible save from Hannah Hampton against the run of play in the 19th minute.

By the 35th minute, Chelsea had already hit both posts and had an effort cleared off the line by Vivianne Miedema. The pressure was reaching tipping point, and when Khiara Keating went down with an injury, it gave Cushing the opportunity to relay some instructions to his side.

However, just three minutes later, Bjorn headed Chelsea to a two-goal lead on the night and leveled the scores on aggregate. Mayra Ramirez completed the first-half comeback in the 44th minute, winning the ball back in midfield before tapping in from Lauren James’ cutback.

The Colombian had a golden opportunity to put the tie to bed on the stroke of half-time, but her weak-footed effort was straight at Keating.

The second-half was less one-sided, with both teams creating good opportunities. Erin Cuthbert went closest to scoring in the 80th minute when her left-footed strike from the edge of the box rattled the bar.

Despite the late pressure from Man City, the Blues defended resilliently and managed to complete the comeback.

Here are five things we learned from the game:

Chelsea re-Bjorn again

After suffering a 2-0 defeat to Man City in the first leg and putting in their worst performance of the season, Chelsea were reborn in this fixture, and Bjorn proved to be an unlikely goal threat.

The Swedish centre-back had an eventful game in front of goal, hitting the post and having an effort cleared off the line before eventually rising above everyone else to double Chelsea’s lead.

The 27-year-old did not forget to perform her primary function, helping her side keep a crucial clean sheet and secure the victory.

The quadruple is on

Chelsea took a huge step closer to achieving their quadruple dreams. Having already pipped Man City to the League Cup title, the Blues currently enjoy an eight-point lead at the top of the Women’s Super League table and are in the semi-finals of both the Women’s Champions League and FA Cup.

While Bompastor’s unbeaten run came to an end during this four-game series with the Cityzens, the team’s main objective of winning every trophy available is still achievable.

City injury crisis proves too big

Manchester City were without the likes of Bunny Shaw, Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood, among others. Due to the extent of City’s injury crisis, Cushing could name just four outfield players on the bench.

While Chelsea are suffering an injury crisis of their own, missing players like Guro Reiten, Naomi Girma, and Sam Kerr, Bompastor’s side boasts one of the deepest squads in the world, with quality players on the bench in every position.

Facing Chelsea four times in 12 days was always going to be a challenge, but City’s injuries made that task impossible.

Chelsea triumph in three out of four clashes

In a rare intense scheduling quirk, Chelsea and Manchester City faced each other four times in just 12 days – an unprecedented series of encounters.

This unique run of fixtures included the League Cup final, both legs of their Champions League showdown, and a Women’s Super League clash. True to form, Chelsea secured victory in the three matches that mattered most.

The only defeat came in the first leg of their European tie, a match with no lasting consequences, despite ending Sonia Bompastor’s 28-game unbeaten streak.

Tonight, Chelsea reaffirmed their status as England’s team to beat with a dramatic comeback at Stamford Bridge, further cementing their dominance.

Barcelona test ahead

While Chelsea will be over the moon with the victory over City, the daunting test of facing Barcelona is next for Bompastor’s side. The Spanish giants are coming off a 10-2 win on aggregate against last season’s runners-up Wolfsburg, cementing themselves as the competition’s favourites.

Chelsea have drawn Barcelona in the semi-finals for a third consecutive season, and if the first two battles between the sides is something to go off of, then football fans are in for a treat.