Chelsea and Lyon became the first team secured their places in the Women’s Champions League Semifinals following their victories in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Chelsea advanced to the next stage on aggregate after a 3-0 victory in the first leg, despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Ajax at Stamford Bridge.
In their pursuit of the quadruple this season, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes opted to utilize the depth of her squad for the second leg, particularly with the Women’s League Cup final against Arsenal approaching on Sunday.
Despite missing key players from the starting lineup, Chelsea managed to take a first-half lead through striker Mayra Ramírez.
However, they were equalized in the second half as Chasity Grant scored for Ajax. Despite both teams having opportunities to clinch victory, Chelsea’s comfortable lead from the first leg ensured their progression to the next round.
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“We’re through to the semifinal and I think we should celebrate that, we want to win, we love winning, all we want is to win. We are in the semifinal and that’s where we want to be,” Emma Hayas, the Blues manager said.
Lyon, meanwhile, defeated Benfica 4-1 in the second leg, securing a 6-2 aggregate win over the Portuguese side.
Leading 2-1 from the initial encounter, the eight-time champion, Lyon, sustained their intensity and controlled the first half on Wednesday, despite squandering several scoring opportunities.
Delphine Cascarino, the French forward, eventually broke the deadlock for Lyon, but Benfica managed to equalize before halftime, keeping their slim hopes alive.
However, Cascarino swiftly restored Lyon’s lead after the break, followed by two late goals from Kadidiatou Diani, securing a resounding victory for Lyon.
Sonia Bompastor, Lyon said:
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“There are a lot of reasons for satisfaction. We’re proud of the fans, thank you to them, and the players, the performance after half-time was great, but we needed to be more clinical during the first half.”
“The common thread was making the right choices; had we done that throughout, we could have put Benfica in more difficulty. Nothing is given to us, so we must always be vigilant.”
Interesting… it’s a women’s world