Chelsea vs Ajax LIVE: Women’s Champions League result and final score from quarter-final tonight
Chelsea 1-1 Ajax (4-1 on agg.): The Blues returned to the semi-finals as Mayra Ramirez scored at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea and Emma Hayes remain on course for a first Women’s Champions League title as the Blues completed a 4-1 aggregate win over Ajax at Stamford Bridge to return to the semi-finals.
Chelsea were in control of the tie after claiming an impressive 3-0 win in Amsterdam last week and advanced courtesy of a 1-1 draw that allowed Hayes to rest key players ahead of Sunday’s League Cup final against Arsenal.
Chelsea almost fell behind to a comedy goal as goalkeeper Zecira Musovic’s clearance deflected off Ajax attacker Tiny Hoekstra and almost cannoned into the empty net.
But record signing Mayra Ramirez then put Chelsea on course for the semi-finals as Erin Cuthbert won the ball back in midfield and Guro Reiten slipped a pass through to the Colombian to finish past goalkeeper Regina van Eijk’s legs.
Hayes had made six changes with Sunday’s League Cup final against Arsenal on the horizon, and Ajax managed to pull one back in the second half as Chasity Grant finished under Musovic to prevent Chelsea from extending their winning run. Musovoic was then forced into two outstanding fingertip saves to prevent defeat on the night.
The Blues could now face a semi-final rematch with Champions League holders Barcelona, who will take a 2-1 lead into their second leg against Norwegian side Brann tomorrow night. Follow live updates from Chelsea vs Ajax in tonight’s live blog and get the latest match odds and Women’s Champions League tips, here.
Early team news and predicted line-ups
Ajax can recall captain Sherida Spitse after she was suspended in the first leg, but young midfielder Yohannes is now banned after her own caution in that game.
The Blues, meanwhile, could rotate as they have a League Cup final at the weekend to contend with, when they’ll face Arsenal at Molineux.
Predicted line-ups:
Chelsea XI: Hampton, Lawrence, Carter, Buchanan, Charles, Leupolz, Ingle, Rytting Kaneryd, Cankovic, Beever-Jones, Macario
Ajax XI: Van Eijk; Kardinaal, Spitse, De Sanders, De Klonia, Noordam, Van Gool, Van de Velde, Grant, Leuchter, Hoekstra
How to watch Chelsea vs Ajax
The match kicks off at 8pm GMT on Wednesday 27 March at Stamford Bridge in London.
In the UK, the fixture will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and DAZN.com.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Good evening!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Women’s Champions League action as Chelsea host Ajax in the second leg of their quarter-final tie.
Emma Hayes’ team triumphed 3-0 away from home in the first leg of this last-eight clash and know that if they avoid a heavy defeat they will be progressing into the next round.
Such is Chelsea’s style though that they will want to impress in front of their home fans and record another victory over their Dutch rivals with Hayes hoping her team can continue to build some winning momentum.
We’ll have all the updates, team news and line-ups throughout the evening so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 8pm.
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