Chelsea Women secured a dramatic passage directly into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women's Champions League on Wednesday night, mounting a spirited comeback to defeat VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 in Germany. The victory means the Blues avoid the playoff round scheduled for February.
Kerr Heads Chelsea to Knockout Stages
The match at the Volkswagen Arena began poorly for the English champions. Wolfsburg's Alexandra Popp capitalised on defensive uncertainty to fire the hosts into an early lead. Chelsea, however, demonstrated their resilience. Defender Lucy Bronze powered in a header from a set-piece to level the scores before the interval.
The second half saw Chelsea grow in dominance. The decisive moment arrived when Swedish winger Johanna Rytting Kaneryd delivered a precise cross into the box. There to meet it was star striker Sam Kerr, whose clinical header found the net for her 20th career Champions League goal. Wolfsburg struck the crossbar deep into stoppage time, but Chelsea held on for a vital win.
Park's Stunner Seals United's Seeding
Elsewhere, Manchester United Women enjoyed a successful evening in Turin, beating Juventus 1-0. The result, coupled with other scores, ensured Marc Skinner's side finished as one of the top seeds for the upcoming playoffs.
The only goal of the game was a moment of individual brilliance from Jess Park in the first half. The young midfielder cut inside and unleashed a superb strike that curled into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance. The victory marks a strong end to United's debut group stage campaign in European competition.
Knockout Draw and What Comes Next
The draw for the Champions League knockout phase will be conducted on Thursday. Chelsea, by finishing third in the overall league phase, are now seeded for the last-eight draw in March. They cannot face the top two ranked teams, Barcelona and Lyon, until the semi-finals.
Manchester United and Arsenal will enter the playoff round as the two highest-seeded teams, giving them a favourable draw for the two-legged ties in February. The ultimate destination for all remaining clubs is the final in Oslo this May.
