Chelsea comfortably secured their place in the knockout stages of the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge, wrapping up their group stage campaign with two games to spare. The reigning semi-finalists cruised to a 3-0 victory, with Lucy Bronze and Wieke Kaptein scoring in the first half, and Ève Périsset sealing the win with a 95th-minute penalty. This impressive performance marked their 11th consecutive win in all competitions.
Under the leadership of Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea has had an exceptional start to the season, remaining unbeaten across all competitions. Heading into this match, they were at the top of the WSL and leading Group B in the Champions League. With Real Madrid defeating Twente earlier in the day, Chelsea needed only a point to advance to the quarter-finals.
Bompastor has shown no hesitation in rotating her talented squad since taking charge at the beginning of the season. She made six changes to the team that beat Manchester City 2-0 on Saturday, bringing in Zecira Musovic, Catarina Macario, Maelys Mpomé, Ashley Lawrence, Oriane Jean-François, and Wieke Kaptein. Additionally, 17-year-old Lola Brown, a Chelsea academy graduate who recently signed her first professional contract, was named on the bench.
In contrast, Celtic's fortunes have been less favorable since their loss to Chelsea in the previous fixture. A defeat to Rangers in a high-scoring match on Sunday saw them fall further behind league leaders Glasgow City in the Scottish Women’s Premier League. Manager Elena Sadiku made three changes, introducing Célya Barclais, Jennifer Smith, and Colette Cavanagh, aiming for a win to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
The previous encounter at Celtic Park had provided Chelsea with valuable insights into their opponents. However, on this chilly evening in west London, it was evident that the English champions were not going to let history repeat itself. They took the lead within 65 seconds when Catarina Macario found Bronze, who, having lost her marker, volleyed past Kelsey Daugherty in the Celtic goal. This goal marked Bronze's scoring record with four different teams in the Women’s Champions League.
From that moment, Chelsea dominated the game, with Celtic struggling to break out of their half. The link-up play between Bronze and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd on the right flank was particularly effective. Despite their dominance, Chelsea's finishing was occasionally off, leading to moments of frustration for Bompastor.
The second goal, a brilliant looping header from Kaptein following a well-executed corner, ensured Chelsea went into halftime with a comfortable lead. Celtic's confidence took another hit when Mayra Ramírez was introduced at halftime. The Colombian forward, known for her ability to outpace top defenders, immediately posed a threat to Celtic's tiring defense.
Bompastor's focus on youth development was evident when Brown, the young England midfielder, made her club and Champions League debut with five minutes remaining. As the final whistle sounded, Chelsea celebrated their smooth progression into the knockout stages, while Celtic returned home, eliminated from the competition after their first group stage appearance.
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