The Chelsea faithful are no strangers to miracle comebacks at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League. Think back to the men overturning a 3-1 first leg deficit against Napoli in 2011-12 with a 4-1 win or doing the same against PSG in 2013-14 with a 2-0 victory.
The vibe was very much the same as the Chelsea Women were looking to overturn a 2-0 deficit to a dogged Manchester City Women side that has given them trouble all season. This was the fourth of four consecutive matches for these two rivals and so far Chelsea had won 2 out of 3 but the fourth was perhaps the most important.
The Blues started the match off strong with the majority of the possession and peppered the City goal with shot after shot but to no avail. They hit the post 10 minutes from a towering header by Nathalie Bjorn and four minutes later got the breakthrough.
Lucy Bronze’s shot from the center of the box hit the post and bounced favorably to Sandy Baltimore who lashed it home with authority. It was exactly the boost the Chelsea squad needed to keep the fire burning and continue the attack.
In the 38th minute, they would pull the tie level with another towering header from Bjorn and the crowd went mad as it settled in the back of the net. The score was now 2-2 on aggregate and there was everything left to play for as the Blues surged forward again and again.
Just 5 minutes later, Lauren James intercepted a wayward pass in City’s half and drove inside the box. She then squared it for the dangerous Mayra Ramirez who scuffed her finish but still found the far corner to send the crowd into absolute raptures.
Chelsea took the lead for the first time in the tie and could see the path forward to the next round but City would not go quietly. The Blues lead at halftime but the second half was full of chances for City to bring the tie back into question.
They peppered Hannah Hampton’s goal and the England keeper had to make several smart stops to maintain the Chelsea advantage. Eventually the tired legs of the deflated City squad took over and things settled to a relatively quiet finish. Once the final whistle blew the celebrations began and the Chelsea faithful breathed a sigh of relief as the comeback was complete.
Next up for the Blues is a matchup with Barcelona who have given them fits over the years. It will be a tall task knocking out the defending champions but after a night like tonight, we know the Chelsea Women have the mentality to do it.