Player ratings as late penalty drama sends Blues through

Chelsea emerged victorious over Lyon on penalties in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals after forcing a shootout with a 128th minute spot-kick to conclude a tense two-hour slog at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night.

Chelsea had a narrow cushion as the game kicked off, but a late Vanessa Gilles goal squeezed in at the near post forced extra-time, before Sara Dabritz looked to have sensationally won the tie for the holders in extra-time. But Maren Mjelde had ice in her veins colder than a Norwegian fjord to convert from 12 yards right at the death and a VAR-awarded penalty.

The shootout was even more tense, but Ann-Katrin Berger made herself a hero with two saves, the second a decisive one to deny American star Lindsey Horan.

Lyon’s Signe Bruun was guilty of snatching at a glorious early chance, capitalising on a poor attempted clearance from Magdalena Eriksson but lacking composure and blazing wide. The same player also failed to hit the target moments later with a more difficult volley.

Sam Kerr ought to have given Chelsea more breathing room when Lauren James put her through on goal, but Christiane Endler was equal to it – the ball actually caught her full in the face. The Lyon goalkeeper was soon in action again when she tipped a fierce James shot over the bar.

Bruun volleyed straight at Ann-Katrin Berger in the closing stages of the first half and Lyon coach Sonia Bompastor turned to Ada Hegerberg for the second 45 – the iconic Norwegian only made her long-awaited return as a substitute at the weekend.

As the visitors probed looking to level the aggregate score-line, Chelsea looked vulnerable in a way that they hadn’t really in the first half. Eriksson risked being caught on the ball in a wrestling match with Danielle van de Donk, while Hegerberg was threatening to tune her radar.

With the game ticking into the final quarter, things became bitty, which suited Chelsea, although Melanie Leupolz receiving lengthy treatment for a bloody nose was certainly not a pleasant sight.

But just as it seemed like the tie would peter out, Lyon got their breakthrough. For all the technical quality on the pitch, it was a somewhat scrappy near post tap-in from Gilles. The Canadian got in front of Eriksson to connect with Lindsey Horan’s cross and Berger couldn’t keep it out.

Chelsea upped the tempo and intensity after that to try and avoid extra-time at the end of what has already been a hugely busy month – this was game seven in March – but there…