Reece James was present at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night to watch Chelsea Women secure a 3-0 win over Manchester City in their Champions League quarter-final clash.
It's not the first time James has gone to watch a game for the women's team, as he often supports his sister Lauren from the stands. It was Lauren's fifth start in the competition as she grabbed an assist in the Blues' comeback.
After losing 2-0 in the first leg, the hosts went on to win 3-0 (3-2 on aggregate). They had a dominant start to the game and could have scored the the opening goal through Nathalie Bjorn inside ten minutes.
But minutes later, Sandy Baltimore netted the first goal of the evening. Before the break, Chelsea had already hit both posts and saw an effort cleared off the line by Vivianne Miedema.
Bjorn then got second time lucky, doubling the Blues' lead before Mayra Ramirez completed the first-half comeback in the 43rd minute.
During the game, James posted a picture of the action without a caption.
Reece James
Reece James in attendance at Stamford Bridge (Image: Instagram)
Speaking after the game, manager Sonia Bompastor said: "'I’m allowing myself to enjoy. You work really hard in football, and sometimes you get results and sometimes you don't. I think tonight was the perfect night for us, playing at Stamford Bridge with our fans and being able to turn things around.
"I’m really proud of my players. It was a difficult challenge, but we believed it was possible and I think this belief was strong in our side and made the difference. The mental aspect of a performance is really important; sometimes [it can be] more than 70 or 80 per cent of the performance and the result.
"So I think tonight, it was part of the game to have this belief, mental strength, and to think it was possible to achieve. I said after the first leg we were alive and I knew it was possible, even though I knew the challenge would be tough.
"It was important for us to be able to bounce back and see how we react as a team. We put a lot of energy as a staff – and me as a manager – after the first leg that going into this game, the plan was the right one.
"You never know until you play the game and get a good result, but going into this game, our body language and the way we showed the players we were confident was the right thing to do."
Chelsea will face Barcelona in the semi-final and there’s a possibility that they could face another English team in the final with Arsenal facing Lyon in the other semi-final.
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Cole Palmer of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team's second goal from the penalty spot with team mate Jadon Sancho during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Stamford Bridge on September 28, 2024
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