Manchester City lead the all-English UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final after Vivianne Miedema struck twice to earn a 2-0 home win against Chelsea.
Aiming to reach a first semi since 2017/18, City performed brightly four days after losing to Chelsea in the English League Cup final and Miedema, introduced at half-time tonight, found the target on the hour. Chelsea pushed hard for an equaliser, hitting the crossbar through Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, but Miedema was to score again late on.
Key moments
60': Miedema strikes for Man City
80': Chelsea's Rytting Kaneryd hits bar
89': Miedema makes it two
Match in brief: Miedema gets the goal
Kerolin made her Champions League debut for depleted City and went close in the opening two minutes. Chelsea's own January signing Keira Walsh started against one of her former clubs, having recovered from injury, and after the Blues were pinned back early on, they started to produce their own threat.
City still posed danger, however, and both Lily Murphy and Mary Fowler tested Hannah Hampton in quick succession. Catarina Macario then headed over a Lauren James cross for Chelsea, but things were understandably tight between two teams in the midst of four consecutive meetings.
With the scoreline 0-0 at half-time, City interim coach Nick Cushing – only appointed last week – introduced Miedema after the restart, while Wieke Kaptein came on for Chelsea, who tried their luck again when James' shot from distance was denied by Ayaka Yamashita.
As it happened: Man City 2-0 Chelsea
On the hour mark, City finally made the breakthrough. Following a corner, the ball had already been cleared off the line when Laia Aleixandri's header was tipped onto the bar by Hampton, allowing Miedema to bury the follow-up.
Miedema forced a Hampton save soon after as City looked to increase their lead, although Chelsea were not done yet as they chased an equaliser. With ten minutes left, Rytting Kaneryd fired against the bar and fellow substitute Maika Hamano got to the rebound, only for her Japan squad-mate Yamashita to save.
Ultimately, it was City who had enjoyed the final word, doubling their advantage with a minute left as Miedema was set up by Kerolin to produce an emphatic finish.
Visa Player of the Match: Vivianne Miedema (Man City)
Vivianne Miedema with her award
Vivianne Miedema with her awardUEFA via Getty Images
"Miedema made the winning impact, coming on at half-time in the No9 position. Direct in her play, she scored the opening goal. She was the difference in a game of fine margins, in the right place, and produced a quality of finish for her first strike. She continued to make threatening runs to create chances and then scored her second."UEFA Technical Observer Group
Faye Hackwell, match reporter
It’s advantage Man City at the halfway stage of this quarter-final and they become the first team of the season to win against Chelsea, as the Blues’ unbeaten run under Sonia Bompastor comes to an end in her 29th game. Cushing will be proud of the way his players bounced back from losing to the same opposition four days ago by executing a performance full of grit and determination. Miedema capitalised on their best chances of the game to score and Chelsea were unable to make the most of the opportunities they carved out for themselves.
Vivianne Miedema makes it 2-0
Vivianne Miedema makes it 2-0UEFA via Getty Images
Reaction
Vivianne Miedema, Man City forward and Player of the Match, speaking to TNT Sports: "We were really good tonight; I think that should be our standard. Obviously, we were really disappointed after the game on Saturday. We've had some special Champions League nights here, and I think this one really sums it all up."
Key stats
Miedema scored her 30th and 31st Champions League goals in her 35th appearance.
The result ended Sonia Bompastor's 28-game unbeaten start as Chelsea coach (W26 D2). Overall, Chelsea had been unbeaten in 31 competitive games going back to 1 May 2024.
This is the second all-English tie in this competition after Birmingham City vs Arsenal in the 2013/14 quarter-finals. Birmingham won 1-0 at home in the first leg, then 2-0 away.
Chelsea beat City 2-1 in the English League Cup final on Saturday, and they meet again in Manchester in the Women's Super League on Sunday before the Stamford Bridge second leg.
Line-ups
Man City: Yamashita; Casparij, Prior, Aleixandri, Ouahabi; Roord, Hasegawa, Park (Blindkilde Brown 75); Kerolin (Layzell 90), Fowler (Coombs 65), Murphy (Miedema 46)
Chelsea: Hampton; Bronze, Björn, Bright, Baltimore; Cuthbert, Walsh (Nüsken 59); Beever-Jones, Macario (Kaptein 46), James (Rytting Kaneryd 59); Ramírez (Hamano 73)
What's next?
The second leg will be played at Stamford Bridge at 21:00 CET on Thursday 27 March. The winners face Wolfsburg or Barcelona in the semi-finals on 19/20 and 26/27 April.