UWCL roundup: Chelsea cruise to victory in Amsterdam, Lyon come back to take slender first-leg advantage
The Women's Champions League quarter-finals began Tuesday evening, with Ajax hosting Chelsea and Lyon traveling to Benfica for the first leg. Here's what happened on the two grounds.
Ajax 0-3 Chelsea
Chelsea defeated first-time quarter-finalists Ajax 3-0 in Amsterdam, thanks to a Lauren James goal and a double by Sjoeke Nüsken.
Ajax started brightly and had the first big chance of the game when Romée Leuchter's placed effort rebounded off the foot of Hannah Hampton's left post. It was a promising start for the Dutch, but that was the closest they got.
Chelsea's opener came on 19 minutes but was only awarded after a video review. Lauren James' effort, after Nüsken's pass had bounced off two home defenders, was initially ruled out for offside, but the visitors soon had their lead and were able to extend it before the break.
Guro Reiten thought she had doubled the lead, but her attempt was ruled out after another review revealed Sjoeke Nüsken to be offside. Undeterred, Reiten reacted quickly, setting up Nüsken to slide in the second.
Chelsea were comfortable after the break and added another goal, with Nüsken heading in a perfect cross from Catarina Macario in her first Women's Champions League appearance since the 2022 final.
Benfica 1-2 Lyon
Lyon overcame a valiant Benfica performance to recover a one-goal deficit and take a slender lead in their quarter-final first-leg match in Lisbon.
Benfica, playing in their first quarter-final, were not intimidated by the occasion in the opening exchanges and could have taken the lead with only seven minutes on the clock.
When Nycole Raysla's path to goal was blocked following a dart into the area, the forward looked for support behind her and found Andrea Falcón on the edge of the box. Christiane Endler turned her low curling effort onto the post.
The Eagles' hopes were dealt a blow shortly thereafter, when Brazilian international attacker Nycole was forced to hobble off after landing awkwardly on her ankle.
Lyon, which had yet to be defeated in 90 minutes in any competition this season, quickly increased the pressure. Eugénie Le Sommer tested Benfica goalkeeper Lena Pauels twice, first with a left-footed shot after collecting Selma Bacha's mishit, and then with a right-footed half-volley into the goalkeeper's arms after good work by Delphine Cascarino.
With halftime approaching, the hosts took the lead after an unlikely opening. Andreia Faria cut in front of Griedge Mbock Bathy to intercept a pass just inside the Benfica half before making a powerful run into the Lyon area. The 23-year-old had time to pick her spot before coolly slipping the ball under Endler.
The introduction of sub Melchie Dumornay into the attack had paid off with a goal in domestic action four days earlier in a 4-0 win over Fleury 91, and it was the Haitian international's clever flick that diverted Ellie Carpenter's low cross into the path of Cascarino, who scooped the ball into the roof of the net.
The Division 1 Féminine club put pressure on their Portuguese opponents, with Kadidiatou Diani extracting the best from Pauels on three occasions.
That attacking intent eventually paid off for Sonia Bompastor's charges, as Lindsey Horan's pinpoint centre found Sara Däbritz between two defenders, and the German international sent a cushioned header into the far corner.
Lyon had a chance to extend their lead in added time, but Horan could only direct her half-volley into Pauels' arms.
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