long before Sam Kerr scored a winner against wolfsburg 2-1 victory confirmed chelseais ranked in the top four uefa women’s champions league, lucy bronze Saved them twice.
Bronze’s intervention came at a time when Wolfsburg were tearing holes in Chelsea’s disorganized defence. As the German club looked for a crucial second goal with a 1-0 lead, two late pieces of bronze talent kept his team in the game.
First, the bronze cleared lynneth beirenstein Shot out of line. Then came his best moment: Wolfsburg caught Chelsea on the counterattack, defender Millie Bright Got lost, but Bronze’s tracking spotted him in Block A Ksya busy The effort looked exactly as if Wolfsburg were going to go two up. Those were two match-changing moments and effectively kept Chelsea in it.
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Bronze’s equalizing goal just before the break was a blow to Wolfsburg, who failed to convert their dominance in the first half into a much larger lead. And after a halftime change in which Sjoke Nusken was introduced, Chelsea regained their composure and took control. Kerr’s brilliant header secured the valuable three points and moved Chelsea into third place in the Champions League standings.
That top-four finish means Chelsea will go straight through to the quarter-finals, and avoid a tough playoff – extra matches they can do without in an already packed season. But they needed the Bronze’s never-say-die attitude and selflessness to keep their foot in the contest after a first half in which they were on the losing side for most of the time.
We already knew that Bronze is not like other players. She constantly pushes her body to extremes that few can imagine – like playing at last summer’s Euros with a fractured tibiaThat was the prestigious performance against sweden In the tournament where he scored an important goal and basically single-handedly carried the team forward. It was iconic, and Chelsea were grateful for the same incredible attitude in Germany.
Chelsea travel to Wolfsburg in mixed form Women’s Super LeagueBut quiet authority in the Champions League. they are six points behind Manchester City In the league – unfamiliar territory for a team that has dominated that competition for so long – but in Europe, they won comprehensively paris fcSt. Polten and Romaand draw that along barcelonaOf these, the Barcelona draw showed his maturity – he controlled it brilliantly,
But any hopes of repeating this performance were quickly dashed in the early stages, with Chelsea looking disorganized and unbalanced defensively. decision to start lauren james together in midfield Erin Cuthbert And keira walsh This meant they lacked pressure on the ball and Wolfsburg dominated the early proceedings. alexandra pop She already had a view of goal when she went on after 15 minutes, and a minute later, Wolfsburg snatched a loose pass from the Chelsea goalkeeper. livia pengPop hit a beautiful half volley from the edge of the box. It was coming.
Then came Bronze’s equalizer and a major tactical change. Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor replaced Nusken with James and Chelsea flourished. alyssa thompson Hit the post, Cuthbert saved an effort, and Kerr scored the winner: a brilliantly timed looping header. Kerr and James are not yet fully fit, and while both have missed chances with the kind of finish they would normally expect, the sight of Kerr placing a header so beautifully will have delighted the staunch Bomber. Nusken’s arrival gave Chelsea balance in midfield and everything looked set. But things remained chaotic in the final few minutes as Walsh had to leave the field with an injury, then Bronze was hit in the face by the ball and Wolfsburg had another chance, which saw the visitors score a penalty in the second half. Vivian Anderman Hitting the bar late.
After all, it was a case of work done for Chelsea. For the first time in quite some time, they are looking vulnerable in the league, and securing a top-four finish in the Champions League could be vital to their season. They are still a little behind Barcelona ol lyonnes When it comes to identifying clear favorites for this tournament, however, Chelsea have the potential to go further in the second half of the season. James and Kerr will have a strong pairing and they will have indispensable defender Nathalie Bjorn back. And they will also have the bronze to defy age, logic and any sense of self-preservation.
The Champions League has eluded Chelsea so far. This is the tournament they are desperate to claim. If it happens this year, Bronze will be a major figure in that narrative. She has already won the competition three times with Lyon and Chelsea will need to follow her example if they are to end the wait.
