The UEFA Women's Champions League returned to Stamford Bridge in style this evening, as Chelsea hosted Celtic to extend their colossal unbeaten run. Goals from Lucy Bronze and Wieke Kaptein gave the Blues a comfortable first-half lead, before an Eve Perisset penalty in added time sealed the deal for the favourites.
Sonia Bompastor made several changes to the starting eleven that beat Celtic 2-1 in Glasgow last week. Catarina Macario, Guro Reiten, Sjoeke Nusken, and Bronze all made their way into the lineup.
The Lineups CHE: Musovic; Bronze, Bright, Mpome, Lawrence; Kaptein, Nusken, Jean-Francois; Kaneryd, Reiten, Macario
CEL: Daugherty; Lawton, Clark, Hayes, Barclais; Smith, Ashworth-Clifford, Cavanagh; McGregor, Gallagher, Agnew
The Action Mere moments had passed before Chelsea opened the scoring A short corner followed by a pinpoint cross from Macario found Bronze in the box, and without hesitancy the right-back volleyed the very first strike of the game into the back of the net.
Chances for Celtic to counter against their dominant hosts came few and far between, as the relentless attacking prowess of the Chelsea frontline proved ever-threatening.
It was only a matter of time before the Blues doubled their advantage, when another short corner provided Wieke Kaptein with the chance to head it home. The youngster got her head to Reiten's ball with ease, hitting it more than well enough to send the shot beyond the gloves of Kelsey Daugherty in the 25th minute.
A brief spell in possession for Celtic was swiftly brought to an end by the home side, as the trailing guests searched for a chance to regroup at the half.
Chelsea came out after the break with no shift in their momentum. A shot was fired narrowly over the crossbar by Kaptein, who edged closer to giving the Blues their third of the night.
Reiten's respectable 53rd minute effort was cleared off the line, much to the frustration of the overwhelmingly pressing Blues.
Bompastor's side continued to push for a deserved third goal, with half-time substitute Mayra Ramirez looking lively in and around the box. Celtic were resilient to say the least, however, and attempts did not come to fruition before the final whistle rang through the cold November air of London.
Substitute Erin Cuthbert powered a strike straight at the Celtic goalkeeper in the dying minutes of the game, just missing out on the chance to get on the score sheet against the rivals of her former club, Rangers.
In quick succession, the home side were awarded a penalty by the referee during four minutes of added time, and Perisset stepped up to the spot to send her solid effort to the right of the goalkeeper.
It all ended 3-0 at a chilly Stamford Bridge, with the Blues still yet to drop a single point under Bompastor across all competitions.
Chelsea Player Ratings Zecira Musovic - 7/10 - Had very little to do, but caused her side no concerns at all for the duration of the match.
Lucy Bronze - 9/10 - As well as scoring the rapid opening goal, Bronze added consistent cohesion to a formidable Chelsea side. Her work rate was surely one of the highest on the field, and did not wither even slightly over the duration of the game.
Millie Bright - 8/10 - The Chelsea captain was defensively sound when she needed to be and nullified Celtic's long-ball attempts, but spent most of this game moving the ball forward for her attackers, keeping things organised throughout.
Maelys Mpome - 7/10 - Mpome played with a confidence and maturity about her game tonight. The centreback knew her role this evening, and she played it well, unafraid to push up when the opportunity presented itself and more than capable of tracking back in good time if required.
Ashley Lawrence - 8/10 - Another excellent, creative presence for the Blues. Lawrence's role in Chelsea's constant pressure in the final third tonight should not be understated, her pace and ability to escape her marker with the ball at her feet is stellar, and lessens the workload of her teammates.
Wieke Kaptein - 9/10 - Scoring her first UEFA Women's Champions League goal in the opening half, Kaptein performed as a naturally gifted attacker. She emerged from the break looking hungry for more, pulling extra weight to try and put her team even further ahead. The occasion provided an exciting glimmer of what's to come for this promising talent.
Sjoeke Nusken - 6/10 - A somewhat unremarkable performance. Did not have too much asked of her by the Celtic defence, but always looks at ease in the midfield and knows her role without question.
Oriane Jean-Francois - 7/10 - A really solid display on home turf. Completely unfazed by the rare attacking efforts of Celtic, and eagerly picking out her teammates further up the field to help generate goalscoring opportunities.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd - 6/10 - Not a standout performance from Kaneryd tonight, but not a bad one either.
Guro Reiten - 6/10 - Reiten is a player right-backs dread coming up against. Having a quiet night, her vision did not necessarily shine as much as it usually does this evening, but her technical attributes were glowing as she delivered many a quality set piece for Chelsea.
Catarina Macario - 7/10 - Proved a near-constant threat to the Celtic backline, weaving into and through the box seamlessly. Macario's work both on and off of the ball is an asset to Bompastor's Chelsea, and her precision in providing the assist to the first goal of the game was superb.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Wieke Kaptein Only 19 years old, Kaptein's performance tonight was of a calibre beyond her years. Chelsea's squad is brimming with attacking talent, and to fit in amongst that so successfully is no small feat for any footballer. Kaptein's drive up and down the field never slowed, as she remained unafraid to challenge for the ball and make the most of her time in possession.
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