Chelsea Women vs PSG: Emma Hayes learns from past Champions League mistakes to get her tactics spot on

Decision to leave Fran Kirby and Ramona Bachmann out of the starting line-up proved the right one even if it upset Hayes’ star forwards as Chelsea take a 2-0 lead to Paris in their Champions League quarter-final clash

Chelsea Women's Erin Cuthbert (right) and manager Emma Hayes celebrate after the 2-0 victory over PSG (PA)

It takes a bold manager to start a club’s most important match of the season with her star strikers on the bench. Get it wrong and questions will be asked. Emma Hayes is not, however, scared of taking risks, or afraid to back her judgement.

So Chelsea began their Uefa Women's Champions League quarter-final, first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night with Fran Kirby and Ramona Bachmann watching on. They ended it with a 2-0 win and while Hannah Blundell and Erin Cuthbert were the scorers it was the arrival as substitutes of Kirby and Bachmann that changed the game, and they combined to create both goals.

Hayes intimated afterwards that neither player was happy at not starting, but that was the gameplan, and it worked. “I have learned how to stay in the game in this competition,” she said. “The last time we played Wolfsburg we were 3-0 down at half-time and I am not going to behave in a naïve manner.”

In fact, in last year’s home semi-final against the German runners-up, Chelsea scored first but chased a second and then ultimately lost 3-1. The point, however, stands and Hayes knew she had to be less gung-ho.

Hayes opted for midfield solidity, and the powerful Beth England leading the line. Starting slowly, hampered both by PSG’s physicality and the effects of a stomach bug which afflicted several players this week, Chelsea survived early pressure to finish the first half promisingly. Soon after the break Hayes introduced Kirby, within two minutes the England striker’s movement created Chelsea’s first clear chance of the night, but she shot wide.

Then Bachmann was introduced. As the game opened up her pace and Kirby’s wile stretched the French defence. In the 73rd minute Kirby cut in from the right, flicked a pass through the cover that Bachmann appeared to get a slight touch on, and Blundell scooped a curling left-footed chip inside the far post.

“At half-time Emma said we need to test the goalkeeper, I got myself in a good position and went for it’” the left-back said.

Fifteen minutes later Bachmann, breaking through midfield, found Kirby who released Cuthbert on the left. The young Scot produced a deft finish.

“The perfect result? 5-0 would be the perfect result, but it is a good result against a very good team,” said Hayes. “I tell them ‘play the gameplan and it is my responsibility if we don’t win’. The team carried out the plan I asked of them.

“We were controlled, composed, experienced. It was tactical and cagey, but we produced the quality in the right moments. We are showing experience as a collective, we are showing the depth in the squad. [Omitting Kirby and Bachmann] was a tactical decision, and the right decision. My job is to pick a winning team, part of that means players will be unhappy with me. I can live with that.”

Hannah Blundell celebrates scoring against PSG in the 2-0 first-leg victory (Getty)

On a night of fine performances in blue, watching England manager Phil Neville will have been pleased with Kirby’s impact and the form of Karen Carney, but less happy his current No 1 Carly Telford could not even make the bench. Chelsea have a surfeit of quality goalkeepers and Hayes went with Ann-Katrin Berger, a January signing from Birmingham.

With Cuthbert suspended for Wednesday’s second leg Kirby and Bachmann could both start, not least as PSG’s need to attack will suit their counter-attacking abilities. The crowd will be around five times Wednesday’s 2,616 and Hayes expects it to be hostile, not that she is worried about her players coping with it.

Erin Cuthbert doubled Chelsea's advantage to give them a strong lead to take to Paris (Getty)

Of greater concern may be the safety of the fans after a coachload of PSG supporters caused alarm before the match. Following incidents in Kingston, Wimbledon and London Waterloo police searched their coach, confiscated knives, knuckle dusters and drugs, and made an arrest for possession of a class A drug. PSG have a noisy support that includes a band of ‘ultras’ who follow the women after being banned from watching the men.

The incident was a reminder that as the women’s game grows it will encounter some of the problems the men’s game suffers. “I don’t think we should discourage anyone from travelling,” said Hayes. “I am sure our security will be well briefed.” Indeed, the manager won’t be the only Chelsea official devising a plan for Paris.