In the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League, Chelsea will face Ajax, the current champions of the Eredivisie.
Emma Hayes’ team came in first place in Group D, winning four games and tying two in their season. They are aiming to give their manager a successful send-off, as she will be leaving to become the head coach of the US women’s national team after the season ends. Hayes has openly expressed her goal of winning the one trophy she has yet to achieve at Chelsea.
The challenge of reaching the finals in Bilbao on May 25th is a difficult one. If Chelsea manages to defeat Ajax, they will then face either the reigning Champions League winners, Barcelona, or Norway’s SK Brann in the semi-finals. Barcelona defeated Chelsea 2-1 overall in the previous season’s final.
In Group C, Ajax defeated Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Roma at their home stadium and also managed a 1-1 tie in Munich, securing their advancement.
In Tuesday’s draw, Benfica will play against the eight-time Champions League champions, Lyon, while BK Hacken will compete against PSG.
The initial matches of the quarter-finals are scheduled for March 19-20, followed by the second leg on March 27-28. In the first leg, Chelsea will play in the Netherlands before returning to host Ajax. Chelsea’s schedule includes three London derbies around the quarter-finals, with a match against Arsenal before the first leg, a trip to West Ham between the two Champions League games, and an away match against Tottenham after the second leg.
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Chelsea can now add Nathalie Björn and Mayra Ramírez to their team for the knockout rounds. Both players were unable to participate in the final group match against Paris FC, but are now eligible to play.
Source: theguardian.com
