Dominant Chelsea ease to 3-0 Women’s Champions League win over Rosengard

Emma Hayes believes her side are hitting the levels necessary to succeed in European competition as her Chelsea side dispatched the experienced Rosengard.

Despite rotating personnel, Chelsea continued the form that has seen them claim a 100% record in the WSL and knock out Bayern Munich already in this competition. Goals from Fran Kirby, Ramona Bachmann and Gilly Flaherty now make them strong favourites to progress to the quarter-finals in Malmo next week.

“It looked like a training performance from my team tonight‚“ Hayes said after the match. “I expect that level of intensity in training every day so, for us, we’re prepared for European opponents. I’ve made it very clear that we had to have a big squad because we have to be able to train at that intensity. With the squad that we have, yes, I have to keep them happy but we can progress to the latter stages because of it.”

Chelsea were dominant both tactically and technically almost throughout. They had seen several good chances denied by Rosengard keeper Zecira Musovic before Kirby opened the scoring in the 33rd minute. She had scored the crucial away goal against Munich in the last round and it was her calm head that told again as she controlled Maren Mjelde’s crossfield pass on her right footbefore cutting inside on her left and firing low beyond Musovic at the far post.

Rosengard came out early for the second half and were on the front foot from the off. The competition’s third seeds knew the tie was still in the balance and almost got their away goal within minutes of the restart only for Simone Sorensen to see a header from point blank range repelled brilliantly by the young defender Millie Bright.

Chelsea keeper Hedvig Lindvahl, one of three Swedes in the Chelsea XI, was forced into another decent save before the hosts finally recovered their composure.

In the 65th minute, the Rosengard manager Malin Levenstad looked to force the game by introducing the German international Anja Mittag, the all-time top scorer in the Women’s Champions League. Within 60 seconds, however, the visitors were two behind. Again Chelsea’s technical advantage told, Ji So-Yun shifting the ball from left to right and making space on the edge of the box before playing in Bachmann on the left. The Swiss made no mistake with her finish, tucking the ball coolly in the far corner.

Seven minutes later and it was three, the defender Flaherty popping up in the box to tuck home after Kirby’s shimmy andshot was deflected. Without hitting the heights of the first half, Chelsea calmly played out the remainder of the match. “It’s the minimum standard‚“ Hayes said of her side’s defending. “For us goals are the bonus, clean sheets are what we pride ourselves on and you can see that tonight.”