Chelsea ease past Wolfsburg to secure spot in Women’s Champions League last four

Chelsea are through to the Women’s Champions League semi-finals following an impressive 3-0 victory over Wolfsburg in Budapest that saw them triumph 5-1 on aggregate.

Having scored the Blues’ second in their 2-1 ‘home’ win at the same venue last week, Pernille Harder once again netted against her former club when she converted a 27th-minute penalty won by Sam Kerr.

Kerr then added another ‘away’ goal five minutes later with a firm strike, and Fran Kirby subsequently scored the third with nine minutes remaining.

Emma Hayes’ side will now face either Bayern Munich or Rosengard in the last four – the second leg of that quarter-final is on Thursday, with Bayern leading 3-0 from the first leg.

While there were no real clear chances for either side in the opening stages, there was a good clearance made by skipper Magda Eriksson as Chelsea weathered some pressure, and Kerr was then unable to keep the ball under control in the Wolfsburg box having been fed by Harder.

Moments later, Kerr went down just inside the area as she was challenged by Sara Doorsoun, referee Anastasia Pustovoitova adjudged it to be a penalty and Harder slotted the spot-kick low into the corner, with goalkeeper Katarzyna Kiedrzynek going the wrong way.

Wolfsburg went close to hitting back two minutes later with the sliding Ewa Pajor getting on the end of Fridolina Rolfo’s cross at the far post but was only able to divert the ball wide.

They did not manage to produce much in their subsequent efforts to fight back, with Felicitas Rauch being thwarted by a fine Jessica Carter tackle midway through the second half, Rebecka Blomqvist sending an attempt off target and Dominique Janssen seeing her free-kick comfortably caught by Ann-Katrin Berger.

Kirby then rounded off a fine team performance as she slotted in the third goal having been teed up by substitute Ji So-yun.