Chelsea were left with work to do after their much-vaunted front three drew a blank in the Bavarian sunshine.
Sam Kerr, Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder have scored 60 goals between them this season, but the deadly trio found Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich impermeable. Coupled with defensive errors this left Chelsea needing to overturn a one-goal deficit at Kingsmeadow on Sunday to reach their first Women’s Champions League final.
Chelsea do, however, have an away goal, albeit a fluke inadvertently scored by Melanie Leupolz against her old club.
In these teams’ only previous meeting, in this competition three years ago, Chelsea went through on away goals after a 1-0 home win was followed by a 2-1 away defeat.
“It is half-time, we have an away goal,” said Emma Hayes. “You don’t win the tie this round. We saw Bayern celebrating the win, but this is not a single game.” The Chelsea manager added: “They were two really poor goals to concede. It wasn’t our best performance, but we are not out of it.”
The quarter-final defeat of Lyon, who had won the previous five finals, by Paris St Germain, has left the competition wide open with the remaining quartet comprising the leaders of the English, German, Spanish and French leagues. None have won the competition before, but all have knocked on the door.
For Chelsea this is their third semi-final in four years, their opponents are playing their second in three. In the other half of the draw Paris St Germain and Barcelona – who played out a 1-1 draw in the French capital yesterday – are both recent finalists.
With the teams so evenly balanced small margins make a difference, and in Chelsea’s case it is injuries to two key defenders, captain Magda Eriksson and the experienced Maren Mjelde. Though Sophie Ingle, who dropped back into central defence, and Jess Carter, who filled in at right-back, performed well individually the back four as a unit were less composed.
While Mjelde is out for the season Eriksson, who has a troublesome calf injury, may be fit for Sunday.
“We’ve lost two real senior leaders in our side, but it is up to the rest of the group to make sure it doesn’t become something we talk about,” said Hayes. “Regardless of who is available next week there is enough experience and quality in this group to deliver the performance that will get us into this final.”
By contrast Bayern were relieved to recall experienced goalkeeper Laura Benkarth after a knee injury. Her fitness had not, though, been tested when Ann Katrin-Berger was found wanting in the other goal.
Hanna Glas found space on the right to fizz over a cross which Berger sought to catch rather than punch. There was, though, too much pace on the ball. It broke through her hands to a grateful Sydney Lohmann who headed in.
Chelsea regrouped and levelled midway through the half. Guro Reiten won a free-kick which she floated in herself. Marina Hegering, in attempting to clear, headed the ball straight into Leupolz’s face. The rebound looped past Benkarth and in.
It was extremely fortuitous, but Chelsea did not care. They had a precious away goal. They should have had another but either side of the break Harder, set up by Reiten, shot wide, then failed to turn in Kerr’s headed pass.
Ten minutes into the second period Millie Bright clattered Klara Buhl in midfield but referee Sara Persson played a fine advantage as Bayern switched the ball to Glas. The Swede drove forward and, with her compatriot Joanna Andersson slow to engage, whipped a shot inside the near post from 20 yards.
Chelsea pressed hard for a second equaliser, coming closest when Jo So-yun rapped the crossbar from 20 yards. Substitute Beth England also headed over before Hayes decided it was better to settle for 2-1, as Bayern already had, than risk conceding again.
Bayern Munich (3-5-2): Benkarth; Ilestedt, Hegering, Laudehr (Wenninger, 77); Glas, Lohmann, Zadrazil, Magull (Boye Sorensen), Simon; Buhl (Schuller, 62), Beerensteyn (Dallman, 77).
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Carter, Bright, Ingle, Andersson; Leupolz, Ji; Kirby, Harder (England, 70), Reiten (Charles, 65); Kerr.
Referee: S Persson
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3gzH7D3
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