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Chelsea Women 3-0 PSG Women: Lauren James scores twice at Stamford Bridge as the Blues advance to the Champions League quarter-final as Group A winners without losing a game
- Chelsea made light work of it in the last game of the Champions League group stage against PSG
- Lauren James scored a brace in the second half after Sam Kerr’s opener in the 42nd minute
- The Blues already knew that they had qualified before kick-off, but they wanted to top the group.
- Resounding victory at Stamford Bridge means they go through as Group A winners
It’s a happier Christmas this year for Emma Hayes and her Chelsea team.
Around this time last year, the Blues were knocked out of the Champions League with a 4-0 loss to Wolfsburg in their final group game. The Blues had only needed to avoid a three-goal defeat to progress. It was certainly his lowest point of the season.
Fast forward 12 months and Hayes’s side are through to the quarterfinals having led their group without losing a game after a brilliant goal from Sam Kerr and a brace from Lauren James gave them a 3-0 victory over the Paris Saint Germain.
Sam Kerr’s first-half late start kicked off Chelsea’s emphatic 3-0 win over PSG at Stamford Bridge
Lauren James doubled Chelsea’s lead after 55 minutes to help guide the Blues to a convincing victory
It’s an achievement, given that they began their campaign with Hayes having to watch from home after recovering from an emergency hysterectomy.
Chelsea knew they would advance as group winners if they avoided a two-goal defeat and PSG manager Gerard Precheur had promised a ‘full attack’.
The French team started brightly when Kadidiatou Diani almost created a goal out of nowhere. The striker hit a speculative 40-meter shot that Barca goalkeeper Zecira Musovic hit the crossbar.
But PSG were unable to capitalize on that opportunity as Chelsea began to take control of the game. Lauren James came close to opening the scoring when she shot at the near post that Sarah Bouhaddi barely avoided.
James continued to cause trouble down the left and forced Bouhaddi to make another big save when he fired a low shot into the bottom left corner.
But there was nothing Bouhaddi could do to stop Kerr from finding a breakthrough in the 42nd minute.
Sakina Karchaoui fumbled in her own half and Kerr pounced, dribbling past Amanda Ilestedt before firing a sensational left-footed shot into the top corner.
If that was an impressive goal, Chelsea’s second was sensational. James finally found the back of the net just after half time when he capitalized on a Bouhaddi mistake.
The striker cut off the goalkeeper’s loose pass to Kheira Hamraoui, fed the ball back to Fran Kirby, who then found Kerr. She played a first pass back to James, who then put the ball into the net.
Chelsea were crossing and seven minutes later they had third and James had his second.
James scored his second of the game just seven minutes later as Chelsea topped Group A.
Emma Hayes’s team is through to the quarterfinals having led their group without losing a match
Another well-worked move saw Guro Reiten play Kirby on the left, who crossed to keep James from scoring to place home.
PSG nearly got a goal back when substitute Magnaba Folquet’s shot went wide, but that’s the best the French team managed in the second half.
The draw for the quarterfinals does not take place until February 10. The toughest draw Chelsea could get would be defending champions Lyon, who finished surprisingly second behind Arsenal.
The Blues could also face Roma or Bayern Munich.