‘We were not efficient enough’ – Bompastor reacts to Chelsea’s victory at Celtic | OneFootball

Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor said that the result was better than the performance after her side defeated Celtic 2-1 at Celtic Park last night.

The Blues fell behind to a Murphy Agnew goal before Maika Hamano and Ashley Lawrence found the back of the net to preserve their side’s winning start in the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage.

When speaking to the media after the match, Chelsea boss Bompastor said that the result was pleasing but the performance was way off what was expected.

“I knew it would be a tough game for us because of the Celtic mentality,” Bompastor said. “Tonight, they showed a lot of heart, played with a lot of energy and were very motivated which we expected.

“I made the decision to rotate my squad a little bit and sometimes, the players don’t get the same chemistry together.

“I wanted a better impression from my team. I’m really happy with the three points and the victory but I’m not really happy with the performance. We were not efficient enough tonight.”

Celtic’s lead lasted just six minutes before Chelsea netted two quick-fire goals. Bompastor was pleased with how her side responded to going a goal down.

She said “That’s a positive, especially because we haven’t had a lot of situations this season where we’ve been behind. We didn’t really get stressed about the situation; we were confident enough to stay [focused] on the game plan and score two goals.

“I think we could’ve scored a lot more but we were not efficient tonight. At least we didn’t concede more than once.”

Chelsea were captained by Rangers fan Erin Cuthbert in the first half. The midfielder was desperate to score at Celtic Park and was inches away from hitting the back of the net just before the interval. Bompastor was pleased with the player’s efforts in the opening 45 minutes.

She said “She had a really good 45 minutes, she had a good performance. I knew that we were losing a good quality player when I substituted her but it was part of the plan. She did well and she almost scored. She didn’t but maybe she will get one next time.

“For her, having the captain’s armband, playing here as a Scot, it’ll be something that she’s really proud of. For me, Erin is one of my leaders both on and off the pitch. She is really important for Chelsea and for me.”

Chelsea are next in action on Saturday evening when they face Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.