Women's Champions League: Glasgow City 0-3 Chelsea Ladies (agg 0-4)

  • Published
Gilly Flaherty grabbed Chelsea's third goal on the nightImage source, SNS
Image caption,

Gilly Flaherty grabbed Chelsea's third goal on the night

English champions Chelsea ended Glasgow City's Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win at the Excelsior Stadium to complete a 4-0 aggregate victory.

Chelsea produced a slick performance and moments of brilliance to progress to the last 16 in their maiden season in the competition.

Goals from Eniola Aluko, Fran Kirby and Gilly Flaherty saw off a plucky City.

Liverpool's loss to Brescia leaves Chelsea as the only British representatives in the last 16.

Chelsea arrived in Glasgow with a goal advantage from the first leg thanks to England striker Kirby and she was involved heavily as the visitors created the first opening with a lovely reverse ball into the path of captain Katie Chapman - but Lee Alexander in the City goal was able to smother the shot.

It was a warning, though, of the quality Chelsea possessed in their forward line and, with Glasgow beginning to enjoy the bulk of possession and pushing for the crucial goal, too much space was allowed to Aluko, who took full advantage.

Picking the ball up on the left, she cut across the centre of the pitch to send an unstoppable strike into the top right corner and double Chelsea's aggregate advantage.

Image source, SNS
Image caption,

Aluko celebrates her spectacular opener

City boss Scott Booth reacted by bringing Claire Shine on for midfielder Erin Cuthbert, moving to two up front in a bid to find some way through the Chelsea backline.

And it was Shine who had the home side's best chance as she stretched to make contact with an inviting cross from the left but failed to direct it away from Hedvig Lindahl in the Chelsea goal.

Straight from that move Chelsea went on the attack and put the tie beyond City's reach.

Kirby's effort from distance seemed to catch Alexander unaware as it sneaked in over the keeper's outstretched boot.

Moments later, defender Flaherty added further damage, heading in Chelsea's third.

Aluko and Davison were beginning to torture the City backline with neat footwork and devastating pace and should have punished the home side further with Aluko in particular wasteful in front of goal.

For City, their attention returns to their domestic campaign as they remain on course for a fourth successive domestic treble, while Chelsea look forward to Monday's last-16 draw.

Glasgow City: Alexander, Ross, McCulloch, Corsie, Docherty, Love, Lauder, Grant, Montgomery, Cuthbert, O'Sullivan. Subs: Cunningham, Fairlie, Shine, Jones, McMurchie, Hay, Boyce.

Chelsea Ladies: Lindahl, Blundell, Bright, Flaherty, Fahey, Davison, Aluko, Yun, Kirby, Borges, Chapman. Subs: Rafferty, Hourihan, Coombs, Brett, Meiwald, Ayane, Spence.