Chelsea beat Lyon 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw to reach the Champions League semi-finals; Blues were facing elimination until Lauren James earned a late penalty after a VAR review taking nearly five minutes; "I didn't want to watch the shootout," admitted Emma Hayes
Friday 31 March 2023 13:06, UK
Emma Hayes admitted she could hardly bare to watch Chelsea's dramatic victory over Lyon on Thursday night given she has never won a penalty shootout with her team.
Chelsea took a 1-0 lead into their Champions League quarter-final second leg at Stamford Bridge but were facing elimination as extra-time headed towards its conclusion thanks to goals from Vanessa Gilles and Sara Dabritz.
But the Blues were handed a lifeline deep into injury time when referee Ivana Martincic awarded a penalty for a foul on Lauren James by Vicki Becho following a VAR review that took nearly five minutes.
Maren Mjelde scored from the spot to send the game to penalties, with Mjelde again stepping up to score Chelsea's first before Ann-Katrin Berger denied Wendie Renard and Lindsey Horan to send the hosts into the final four.
Chelsea will now face Barcelona in late April, who thrashed them 4-0 in the final in 2021, but asked about their dramatic victory over Lyon, Hayes said: "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 the penalty takers were on the pitch.
"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 given 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. Our depth wasn't big tonight. Players have had to come into the game and play multiple roles.
"For Maren to do what she did, last kick of the game, she's a Chelsea legend. She deserves her night as much as Ann-Katrin 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."
Lyon, who won the Champions League last year, were just seconds away from a brilliant comeback victory and manager Sonia Bompastor described the manner of their defeat as an "injustice".
Bompastor was particularly disappointed with the penalty, saying Martincic had made the right call to dismiss Chelsea's claims at the time.
However, the Lyon boss said it was inevitable the officials would overturn the decision once the referee went to the monitor, adding: "Disappointment is my feeling. Frustration, injustice as well.
"My girls played the game we wanted, stuck to the game plan, played with their hearts and their heads. We showed a lot more than in the first leg.
"The referee made the right decision live (for the penalty), then she was obliged by VAR to go and look. We know from experience that once they've been called over, it's hard for them to go against what they originally thought.
"Chelsea were resorting to playing long balls into the box and hoping for a second ball."
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.
