Wolfsburg 0-3 Chelsea
(1-5 aggregate)
by Asif Burhan

CHELSEA sealed victory over their Champions League nemeses Wolfsburg today, with a devastating performance that boss Emma Hayes branded a proud moment for English football.

“I’ve waited nine years for today,” the beaming Blues manager admitted after the game, adding that it “probably ranks as her favourite win.”

Chelsea had gone out to the Bundesliga champions in three successive seasons between 2016 and 2018, but at the fourth time of asking the Women’s Super League leaders won both legs to reach the semi-finals for the third time.

Carrying a 2-1 lead from their “home” leg in Budapest, Chelsea returned to the Szusza Ferenc Stadion with two changes to their starting line-up: Jess Carter in at right-back for the suspended Niamh Charles and Erin Cuthbert replacing Ji So-yun. 

After a bright start from the English champions, Wolfsburg began to take control. They bombarded the Chelsea area with a succession of crosses from the flanks, leaving Chelsea to look for forwards Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby with long passes from the deep.

From one such pass, Kerr won a penalty in the 26th minute after getting herself in front of her marker Sara Doorsoun-Khajeh, who bumped her over as she entered the area. 

After scoring the winning goal against her old club in the first leg, Pernille Harder repeated the trick from the spot — sending goalkeeper Katarzyna Kiedrzynek the wrong way.

Almost immediately, Wolfsburg missed a glorious chance to put themselves back into the tie — Fridolina Rolfo’s superb left-wing cross stabbed wide from a couple of yards by Ewa Pajor. 

But Chelsea made the German champions pay moments later when Sophie Ingle chipped a right-wing ball into Kerr, who took it on her chest, turned her marker Doorsoun-Khajeh and drilled home a second away goal.

The strike effectively ended the tie. Chelsea then repelled everything that Wolfsburg threw at them before, in the 81st minute, Kirby played a one-two with substitute Ji before slotting the ball under Kiedrzynek.

The comprehensive win was further embellished by the fact that Chelsea ended the game as the first side since May to keep a clean sheet against the German champions.

“I think this probably ranks as my most favourite win,” Hayes said after the match. “We are growing up in Europe. I’ve faced that opponent so many times and felt humiliated and lost.

“I always thought [Wolfsburg] were the benchmark for women’s football, alongside Lyon, so it’s a really, really proud day for English football.”

The manager singled out Carter for praise. A squad player for most of the season, she has now become a starter following injuries and suspensions.

“She was ready when called upon,” Hayes said. “I am fully aware that being a non-regular player is extremely difficult. If you want to win these big tournaments, the Jess Carters put you in the position to compete in the latter stages. 

“If she doesn’t train to be ready for this moment, then you suffer. Huge credit to Jess today, but also to Mille [Bright] and Magda [Eriksson]. They were amazing, my centre-backs.”

Later this month, Chelsea will try to become the first English side to reach a European final since Arsenal in 2007. They will almost certainly face current Bundesliga leaders FC Bayern, who lead 3-0 going into their quarter-final second leg against Sweden’s FC Rosengard. 

The Germans have won all of the 25 matches they have played in all competitions so far this season, but Chelsea came through the sides’ only previous Champions League encounter, in October 2017, on away goals.

Whichever side prevails to reach May’s showpiece in Gothenburg will be playing in their first Champions League final. 

“I don’t think Europe has taken English football too seriously up until now,” added Hayes, who promised to treat herself to a decaffeinated drink on the flight home. “That changes!”