Chelsea secure UWCL semi-final spot with dramatic penalty shootout victory over Lyon | OneFootball

Icon: WSL Full-Time

WSL Full-Time

·30 March 2023

Chelsea secure UWCL semi-final spot with dramatic penalty shootout victory over Lyon

Article image:Chelsea secure UWCL semi-final spot with dramatic penalty shootout victory over Lyon

Chelsea have qualified for the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League with a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Lyon at Stamford Bridge this evening.

The Blues went into their quarter-final, second leg tie 1-0 up from the first leg, but they were defeated by the same scoreline in normal time this evening, Vanessa Gilles netting the winning goal. Lyon then grabbed the lead in extra-time through Sara Däbritz, before a last-ditch equaliser from Maren Mjelde forced a penalty shootout.

Chelsea edged a rollercoaster shootout 4-3 as they secured another appearance in the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals at the expense of the 2022 winners.


OneFootball Videos


Chasing the tie, Lyon started this evening’s fixture on the attack and an early nervy moment for Chelsea keeper Ann-Katrin Berger nearly produced the opening goal, before a shot from Signe Bruun flew over the crossbar.

At the other end, Lauren James played in Sam Kerr who went one-on-one with Lyon keeper Christiane Endler as three defenders chased her down. Endler put in a successful block, but this was a key early indicator of Chelsea’s ability to capitalise on the vision and technical link-up between their two star players.

James manoeuvred around two defenders before registering a shot that flew just wide of goal, before Guro Reiten expertly spotted the run of Kerr, forcing Endler out of her goal to make the save. Kerr then used the right flank to play in Melanie Leupolz who fired an effort over, before Berger managed to grasp a Bruun shot at the opposite end of the pitch.

Lyon opted to bring on Ada Hegerberg at half-time in the hope that she could break the deadlock, the player having only recently returned from long-term injury.

It was Chelsea’s Reiten who had the first chance of the second half, the in-form Endler preventing her attempt from finding the back of the net.

The half quickly developed into a real battle, but the deadlock was finally broken in the 76th minute. Hegerberg put in a cross for Gilles who managed to slip the ball past Berger at the near post to give Lyon the lead on the night and level the aggregate score.

Despite the best efforts of both sides in the remaining minutes, there were no further goals and the tie was forced into extra-time.

Neither side went close to adding to the scoreline in the first period of extra-time with the pressure very much being on. With the early stages of the second period of extra-time remaining goalless, fans would have been expecting penalties, however, a Lyon attempt took a big deflection off Magda Eriksson and Däbritz directed the loose ball past Berger to earn her side an aggregate lead.

A last minute free-kick seemed to be Chelsea’s final hope of sending the game to penalties. The delivery flew past the goal, but James was brought down inside the box. The referee opted to go to VAR and awarded a dramatic late penalty to the home side. Hayes hyped up the crowd as substitute Mjelde thumped home the spot kick to bring her side level and force penalties.

In the shootout, Chelsea converted four of their five penalties while Lyon were only able to net three of theirs. The Blues’ 4-3 shootout victory therefore means that they will face Spanish giants FC Barcelona in next month’s semi-finals.

View publisher imprint