Chelsea signed off for 2022 by ensuring they progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals as group winners with a comfortable victory over PSG at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.
The Blues had already confirmed their place in the knockout stages thanks to last week’s victory over Vllaznia, and wrapped up top spot in Group A thanks to a Lauren James brace and stunning solo effort from Sam Kerr.
Despite Chelsea knowing they only required a draw to ensure they topped the group, the fixture was anything but a cagey affair. PSG saw the game’s first sightings of goal, Sandy Baltimore firing narrowly wide and Kadidiatou Diani rattling the upright with an audacious effort from range.
But Chelsea gradually began to exert their dominance, with Erin Cuthbert pulling the strings in midfield and Lauren James in the thick of the action on the right flank. Having been fed by Cuthbert, Fran Kirby sent a looping cross to the back post for James to connect with, but she fired narrowly wide.
James then tested Sarah Bouhaddi with a swerving effort after working the space herself with a series of step overs, before again being denied by the PSG goalkeeper after superb work from Cuthbert.
It was ultimately a moment of Kerr magic that broke the deadlock four minutes before the break, the Australian striker picking up a loose ball and rifling a left-footed effort into the top corner.
Having done everything but get on the scoresheet in the first half, it was James who doubled Chelsea’s advantage 10 minutes into the second. The Blues capitalised on Bouhaddi’s poor attempted pass out from the back, Kirby and Kerr combined, and the latter fed James, who stroked home.
Chelsea wrapped up the victory with a slick third just after the hour. Kerr and Magdalena Eriksson linked up on the left, Guro Reiten split the PSG with a stunning pass, and Kirby had the awareness to unselfishly cut the ball back for James, who couldn’t miss.
GK: Zecira Musovic – 6/10 – Largely a spectator and didn’t have a great deal to do.
RB: Niamh Charles – 7/10 – Had a real battle with the world class Martens, and the PSG winger was withdrawn at the break having struggled to get the better of Charles.
CB: Kadeisha Buchanan – 7/10 – Won so much in the air and swept up magnificently with her pace and reading of the game.
CB: Millie Bright – 6/10 – Steady and solid, hardly gave the PSG forward line a sniff.
LB: Magdalena Eriksson – 6/10 – Involved in the build up to…
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