Lauren James scores twice as Chelsea beat PSG 3-0 to reach last-8

Chelsea Women 3-0 PSG Women: Lauren James scores twice at Stamford Bridge as the Blues breeze into Champions League quarter-finals as Group A winners without losing a game

  • Chelsea made light work of final Champions League group game against PSG
  • Lauren James bagged a second-half brace after Sam Kerr’s 42nd minute opener 
  • Blues already knew they had qualified before kick-off but wanted to top group 
  • Convincing win at Stamford Bridge means they go through as Group A winners 

It is a happier Christmas this year for Emma Hayes and her Chelsea team.

This time last year, the Blues crashed out of the Champions League with a 4-0 defeat by Wolfsburg in their final group game. The Blues had only needed to avoid defeat by three goals to progress. It was undoubtedly their lowest point of the season.

Fast forward 12 months and Hayes’ side are in the quarter-finals having topped their group without losing a game after a brilliant Sam Kerr strike and a brace from Lauren James gave them a 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

Sam Kerr’s first-half finish kickstarted Chelsea’s convincing 3-0 win over PSG at Stamford Bridge

Lauren James doubled Chelsea’s lead after 55 minutes to help guide the Blues to a convincing victory

It is some achievement, given they started their campaign with Hayes having to watch on from home after recovering from an emergency hysterectomy.

Chelsea knew they would progress as group winners if they avoided defeat by two goals and PSG boss Gerard Precheur had promised a ‘full on attack’.

The French side started brightly as Kadidiatou Diani nearly created a goal out of nothing. The forward hit a speculative 40-yard shot at goal that Blues’ goalkeeper Zecira Musovic did well to push onto the crossbar.

But PSG failed to capitalise on that chance as Chelsea started to take control of the game. Lauren James came close to opening the scoring as she fired a shot to the near-post which Sarah Bouhaddi just managed to keep out.

MATCH FACTS 

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Musovic, Charles (Perisset 78), Buchanan, Bright, Eriksson, Ingle, Cuthbert (Fleming 74), James (Rytting Kaneryd 63), Kirby, Reiten (Cankovic 73), Kerr (England 74)

Subs not used: Berger, Orman, Nouwen, Carter, Svitkova, Perisset, Mjelde, Abdullina

Booked: None

Goals: Kerr 42, James 55, 62

Manager: Emma Hayes

PSG (4-3-3): Bouhaddi, Li, De Almeida, Ilestedt, Karchaoui, Jean-François, Geyoro, Fazer (Hamraoui 45), Martens (Bachmann 45), Diani (Ngueleu 79), Baltimore (Folquet 59)

Subs not used: Williams, Picaud, Simon, Thorvaldsdottir, Yang

Booked: None

Goals: None

Manager: Gerard Precheur

Referee: Iluliana Demetrescu

Attendance: 10,129

James continued to cause problems down the left and forced Bouhaddi into another fine save as she fired a low drive to the bottom left corner.

But there was nothing Bouhaddi could do to prevent Kerr from finding a breakthrough in the 42nd minute. 

Sakina Karchaoui lost the ball in her own half and Kerr pounced, dribbling past Amanda Ilestedt before firing a sensational left-footed strike into the top corner.

If that was an impressive goal, Chelsea’s second was sensational. James finally found the back of the net just after half-time as she capitalised on a Bouhaddi mistake. 

The forward cut out the goalkeeper’s slack pass to Kheira Hamraoui, laid the ball back to Fran Kirby, who then found Kerr. She played a first-time pass back to James who then slotted the ball into the net.

Chelsea were cruising and seven minutes later they had third and James had her second. 

James scored her second of the game just seven minutes later as Chelsea topped Group A

Emma Hayes’ side are in the quarter-finals having topped their group without losing a game

Another well-worked move saw Guro Reiten play in Kirby down the left, who crossed for an un-marked James to slot home.

PSG nearly pulled a goal back when substitute Magnaba Folquet curled an effort just wide but that is the best the French side managed in the second half.

The draw for the quarter-finals does not take place until February 10. The hardest draw Chelsea could get would be holders Lyon, who finished a surprise second behind Arsenal. 

The Blues could also face Roma or Bayern Munich.




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