Chelsea Women: Top-five goals of the 2022/2023 campaign
2. Guro Reiten at Lyon
Competition: UEFA Women’s Champions League (Quarterfinals)
Date: March 22, 2023
On the road against the most decorated women’s football club in Europe, Guro Reiten delivered a one goal advantage heading back to west London for the second leg. Given the most difficult path to the Champions League final of any team, the Blues walked into the home of the champions with little fear. Before the match even reached the half-hour mark, Hayes’ team broke down the Lyon backline in one of the most eye catching ways.
Having battled in the middle of the pitch and nutmegging one of the opposition’s midfielders, Cuthbert set the Blues’ No. 11 up perfectly for a right-footed strike inside the penalty area. The Norwegian still had a lot of work to do, but she executed it exceptionally well. Reiten curled the ball with her weaker foot past the outstretched arms of Chilean international Christiane Endler between the sticks.
The opponent and the competition in which this occurred allow this goal to slide into the top-two. Everyone knows how prolific Reiten’s left-foot is, but to see her slot home a goal with her right-foot on the biggest stage in the football world sent a message that she was the real deal.
It was Cuthbert’s first match back after missing out of three straight due to a hamstring injury she suffered in the Conti Cup final against Arsenal. Her grit in the middle of the pitch all night despite not being 100 percent was one of the main reasons the west London outfit left France with a slim edge.
It was two of the Blues’ best players doing what they do best in the final third of the pitch against the eight-time Champions League winners. When fans look back at this Champions League run, the second leg will be what comes to mind first, but Reiten’s goal allowed the west London side to have the chance to win it by way of spot kicks.