Chelsea Women vs Olympiques Lyon Women. Women's Champions League Quarter Final.
Stamford BridgeAttendance15,111.
2-2
Chelsea Women win 4-3 on penalties.
Match report as Vanessa Giles' strike sends tie to extra-time before Lyon go ahead on aggregate when Sara Dabritz scores with five minutes remaining; Maren Mjelde nets controversial penalty in 128th minute after referee consulted pitchside monitor; Blues win 4-3 on penalties
Friday 31 March 2023 08:49, UK
Chelsea knocked out holders Lyon on penalties to reach the Women's Champions League semi-finals after Maren Mjelde scored a controversial spot-kick in the 128th minute to level the tie on aggregate.
The hosts had looked to be heading out when substitute Sara Dabritz fired Lyon into a 2-0 lead on the night in the second half of extra-time, adding to Vanessa Gilles' strike in normal time and overturning a one-goal deficit from the first leg.
But deep into injury time, Lauren James went down in the area under a challenge from Vicki Becho and after being instructed by the VAR to look at the pitchside monitor, referee Ivana Martincic pointed to the spot. Substitute Mjelde kept her cool to smash the penalty into the top left corner and send the tie to a shootout.
Lyon's Wendie Renard and James both saw their spot-kicks kept out but Ann-Katrin Berger made the decisive save from Lindsey Horan to send Chelsea through and set up a tie with Barcelona.
Eight-time winners Lyon were left feeling they had been let down by the officials over the crucial penalty decision. Coach Sonia Bompastor said: "The referee made the right decision live and then she was obliged by the VAR to take a look. As we all know, once they've been called over to look at it, it's tough for them to go against what they originally thought.
"Chelsea were resorting to long balls into the box, hoping for a second ball or something to happen. James had the opportunity, she falls, that's cool, but I still feel it wasn't a foul and that maybe the VAR has got it wrong and the wrong decision has been made overall."
But James told Chelsea boss Emma Hayes the officials had called it right. "Lauren said to me it was a penalty. LJ is really honest like that," said Hayes.
"That's the first time I've ever seen an interaction between officials and VAR in the women's game. In every game, including the last one, I didn't even know it was switched on. It was like, 'Oh wow, there is something or someone in the background'. I haven't seen it, the player said she was sure it was a penalty."
Chelsea survived several early scares as Lyon went to reduce the deficit from the start. Delphine Cascarino forced the first save from Berger, making her 100th Chelsea appearance, before Signe Bruun fired a golden opportunity wide from inside the box.
But it was Sam Kerr who had the best chance of the first half when Chelsea quickly countered on Lyon with James playing the striker through on goal, but she was denied by the face of the excellent Christiane Endler.
Endler was called into action moments later to tip James' bending effort over the bar as Chelsea found their rhythm. However, Lyon still threatened with Bruun volleying straight at Berger.
The striker's missed chances led to her being substituted at half-time for Ada Hegerberg, but it was the removal of Chelsea's Melanie Leupolz during the second half which swung the game in Lyon's favour. The midfielder walked down the tunnel in tears, holding her nose which had been bloodied in an accidental collision, and soon Gilles squeezed home at Berger's near post to force extra-time.
Then, following a dull first period, substitute Dabritz fired into the bottom corner with five minutes left to put the eight-time holders on the verge of a statement victory.
They looked to be cruising through until James went down, clipped on the right heel by Becho, in the second of two added minutes and Mjelde brilliantly dispatched the penalty after a long wait.
Chelsea scored their first three spot-kicks before Renard was kept out, but James followed up by also being denied. Dabritz netted Lyon's fourth meaning the shootout was in sudden death as Jess Carter slammed in, heaping the pressure on Horan, whose low effort towards the bottom left corner was pushed away by Berger to spark wild scenes at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes: "I didn't want to watch the shootout until Guro (Reiten) made me. We have never won a penalty shootout as a team so can you imagine what was going on in my mind?
"I was forced into every substitution tonight, they were injuries in every case. I had to be so conscious even in extra-time that were the penalty takers on the pitch. I felt I didn't see a goal in us to be honest. When I see Lyon's subs coming on, world-class talent one after another, we managed the best we could give the circumstances. It was the most character-building performance even if it was the ugliest.
"I'm just relieved it's over and we're through that. Our depth wasn't big tonight. Players have had to come into the game and play multiple roles.
"For Marun (Mjelde) to do what she did, last kick of the game, to have to place the ball three times, she's a Chelsea legend. She deserves her night as much as Ann-Katrin (Berger) does because we know what she's like from penalties. I knew if we got to that situation momentum would turn. Drama! I'm relieved and exhausted.
"She's [Mjelde] got blue blood. You can count on her in the biggest moment. Everyone knew she was going to take that penalty and everyone knew she was going to score. What's more impressive is she took the first penalty of the shootout within a couple of minutes. It's even more impressive to do it twice."
Two-time champions Wolfsburg advanced to the semi-finals of the Women's Champions League for the second year in a row after beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 on aggregate.
After the German team won 1-0 at the Parc des Princes last week, Alexandra Popp's goal in the 20th minute proved decisive in front of 14,367 fans at the VW Arena despite Kadidiatou Diani's equalizer 10 minutes later.
"We are mega happy and mega proud, it was a tough fight," Popp told DAZN. "We fought our way in, took the duels. The first goal was extremely important for us."
Popp put Wolfsburg in the driver's seat with a superb strike into the far corner, and though PSG pushed hard for an equaliser and deservedly got it when Diani headed home a cross past goalkeeper Merle Frohms, they could not find a leveller.
Chelsea's final game before the international break is a trip to in-form Aston Villa in the WSL on Sunday, with the Blues continuing the battle to retain their title as the season heads towards its conclusion - kick-off 6.45pm, live on Sky Sports.
Lyon's next outing is away to seventh-placed Le Havre on Sunday as they look to maintain their one-point lead at the top of Division 1 Feminine - kick-off 11.45am.
