Importance Score: 12 / 100 🟠
Key events
30 min: The ball eventually comes into the box for Chelsea again but Ramirez’ effort is wide. Chelsea keep up the attack and Cuthbert hits the deck, she wants a penalty but the referee does not give it. There is VAR in operation this evening so if there was a clear one they would have reviewed.
29 min: Kaptein wanted a corner there as she ran after a Ramirez pass but it’s ruled a goal kick. Very much end-to-end this match but City now look the more comfortable.
27 min: Fowler takes the set piece looked good but it goes all the way through and out for a goal kick.
26 min: City are really turning up the heat on Chelsea, in defence the Blues do look shaky and Stamford Bridge get a little nervous every time they come forward. So far they can’t find their clinical edge but it feels a matter of time. City win a corner now.
25 min: Fowler is in a lot of space and finds Kerolin, who has really come alive over the last few games for City, and she launches an effort goalward but Hampton saves. It’s not long before City are on the attack again but Bright clears. City definitely growing into this one.
23 min: James goes on a lovely run down the left but her cross is watched well by Keating who collects.
22 min: Ouahabi takes the set piece and it reaches Miedema who flicks it on but it is eventually cleared.
21 min: City now on the attack but Baltimore does well in defence to clear the danger. City whip it left and right to try and find a way through and Casparji sends a peach of a ball in but Hampton collects. A few moments later Mary Fowler gets a shot saved by Hampton but concedes a corner.
19 min: The delivery is good but it is initially repelled. Walsh get onto the ball and her long range effort is collected by Keating.
18 min: What a battle each of the four game have been over these past two weeks, just a joy to watch. Chelsea are on the front foot again and Miedema concedes a corner. She is fuming with her defence.
17 min: So just to keep check, Chelsea are now ahead in this game but they are still behind in this tie. Do City now shift their game plan?
Khiara Keating had a lot to do and I feel for the goalkeeper and she had dived for the Bronze effort and just could not get back in position to save Baltimore’s. Huge moment.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Manchester City (Baltimore, 1-2 on agg)
Lucy Bronze hits the post and then Baltimore hits in the rebound.
14 min: It’s all Chelsea but they just cannot create the killer blow they so desperately need so far. Reminding me a lot of Arsenal from their first half yesterday.
12 min: Chelsea are bang up for this tonight, five chances at goal in these early chances from City. But the visitors have defended well and absorbed a lot of pressure.
11 min: James, who has brother Reece in the stands tonight, wins a corner. Baltimore takes the set piece and it meets Nathalie Bjorn but her header hits the bar. Another chance been and gone.
10 min: Vivianne Miedema, the player who scored both goals in the first leg, is surrounded by players in the box and they win the ball back. Chelsea break but they cannot make anything of it.
8 min: Erin Cuthbert wins the ball high up and finds Ramirez but her effort is wide. I’m unsure how many chances Chelsea will get and so they really need to be clinical when they get them.
7 min: Kerolin intercepts a ball and passes to Kerstin Casparji but the shot is straight at Hannah Hampton.
6 min: City just taking the wind out of Chelsea’s sails by retaining possession here. It will be interesting to see how City’s game plan develop over this match.
4 min: Oh my word how have Chelsea not scored? Lauren James does extremely well to recover a ball she’d lost, she squared the ball but Mayra Ramirez couldn’t get there. It’s out for a corner but City clear.
3 min: Both sides are just settling into this one. City are by no means sitting back and just defending their 2-0 lead, they are the ones who have attacked more early on.
2 min: Just a reminder that if Chelsea take a 2-0 lead here by full-time we will go to extra time and then if the sides still cannot be separated it will be penalties.
Kick-off: Chelsea 0-0 Man City (0-2 on agg)
Here we go. Can Chelsea overturn this result? Or will City sail through? All to come.
A key story to have a read of here:
Redmond Grimes has emailed and says on tipple chat:
As it is only 12.40pm here, it’s a water made from some glacier in Northern BC.
That sounds like quite the thirst-quencher, I’m quite jealous.
Whoever comes out the winner after this match will be playing defending champions Barcelona. The Spanish giants have beaten Wolfsburg 6-1 in their second leg which means they defeated them 10-2 over the tie. Dominant. It is going to take a perfect performance from Chelsea or City across both legs to stop them.
Please do get in touch via email too, what tipple are you having this evening while watching the game or catching up on updates? I have gone for an orange juice but let me know your drink of choice.
A great interview with Manchester City’s Kerolin to have a read of before kick-off:
Chelsea fans may think a 2-0 deficit is too much to get over but Arsenal proved it is possible last night when they beat Real Madrid 3-0 in their second leg to win the tie 3-2. Catch up on all the action here:
Bunny Shaw and Aoba Fujino are both injured but they were also both unavailable for City’s first leg against Chelsea so the team can get a result without them.
The team news is here! Chelsea have made five changes from the Blues team who beat City last Sunday. Sandy Baltimore, Keira Walsh, Erin Cuthbert, Mayra Ramirez, Nathalie Bjorn come in for Ashley Lawrence, Niamh Charles, Aggie Beever-Jones, Oriane Jean-Francois and Maika Hamano.
Chelsea: Hampton; Bronze, Björn, Bright, Baltimore; Walsh, Cuthbert, Kaptein; Rytting Kaneryd, Ramirez, James.
Subs: Spencer, Cox, Lawrence, Charles, Hamano, Macario, Nusken, Brown, Beever-Jones, Jean-Francois
Man City, meanwhile, have made three changes from last time out. Lily Murphy, Leila Ouhabi and Mary Fowler are in for Naomi Layzell, Jess Park and Laura Coombs.
Man City: Keating; Casparij, Prior, Aleixandri, Ouahabi; Hasegawa, Roord, Miedema; Kerolin, Fowler, Murphy.
Subs: Startup, Layzell, Coombs, Wienroither, Park
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the second leg of the Women’s Champions League quarter-final between Chelsea and Manchester City.
It is the Blues, hosting tonight at Stamford Bridge, who have all the work to do with City winning the first leg 2-0. If City score first this tie could be over and so Chelsea will want to get a fast start.
Tonight’s match marks the end of a four-game run these two have played against one another in the space of 12 days. Chelsea won the first game, the League Cup final, 2-1. City hit back with the 2-0 first leg win but the Blues won their WSL match last Sunday 2-1.
We will have a look at what both clubs have been saying in the build-up shortly with team news dropping soon. Stay tuned before kick-off at 8pm GMT.