Billed as the battle of Britain, Chelsea Ladies and Glasgow City’s UEFA Women’s Champions League encounter was your typical first leg encounter with the home side creating the majority of chances ….
… and the away one defending their territory to ensure the tie was still alive going into the second leg writes Kieran Theivam.
Glasgow fans would have been worried the way Chelsea came flying out of the traps and exploited their pace down the flanks in the opening 15 minutes, with both Gemma Davison and Fran Kirby going close with driven crosses into the box, but with nobody to take advantage of the chances created.
Leanne Ross and Nicola Docherty, the two players tasked with stopping Gemma Davison and Eni Aluko, settled after a nervy start as the game developed into a chess match, with Chelsea trying to carve a way through to capture the King, and Glasgow doing everything to defend it.
But in the 39th minute, a moment of brilliance from Fran Kirby broke the deadlock as she picked the ball up from 25 yards out and riffled an unstoppable effort past Lee Alexander that cannoned off the underside of the bar to make the goal sound as good as it looked.
The goal came after a period of 20 minutes that had seen few chances created thanks to a stubborn Glasgow rearguard, but was one worthy of lighting up any match, at any level, at any stadium.
The second half saw much more invention from Glasgow, but it did occasionally leave them vulnerable on the counter.
They should have levelled on 48 minutes when a ball into the box was nodded down by Erin Cuthbert and found the feet of Kerry Montgomery, but she blazed over from the edge of the six-yard-box, preventing a crucial away goal.
Chelsea continued to create the better chances, with Millie Bright and sub Ana Borges forcing good saves out of Alexander, but the second goal did not arrive, with the away side settling for the result and defending resiliently in the last 15 minutes to ensure the tie was still alive next week.
After the final whistle, both managers spoke of their satisfaction with the result as they meet each other again in Glasgow on Wednesday.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said: “It’s our maiden year in the competition, so to win at home, with a clean sheet, I’m pleased with the result and I’m pleased with the clean sheet.”
“It’s a competition where you play two legs, and I said to the players at half time it’s about getting the right result, and 1-0 at home in Europe is a good score line.”
Glasgow City Head Coach Scott Booth was pleased with the result and how his team contained “some of the best players in the world.”
He said: “I thought we were excellent. “We came here to do a certain job and I couldn’t have asked for anymore from my players.
“They’re playing against some of the best players in the world I think, but I think we more than matched them at times.”
Words by Kieran Theivam / Photo – GCFC
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