Match report
Full-time: Chelsea 2-0 Atletico
So Chelsea take a handy lead into next week’s second leg, an outcome that didn’t look likely when they conceded a penalty and were reduced to 10 players in the 12th minute. But Berger saved the spotkick - and saved another one later on - and Mejlde and Kirby scored the goals to earn a victory that was thoroughly deserved. Chelsea were stronger, sharper and smarter. Could this be their year in Europe?
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90+1 min: Chelsea break. Herr lays it back to Reiten at the edge of the box. She tries to spoon it into the far corner but it swerves just wide.
89 min: There will be at last six minutes of time added on.
86 min: Atletico, stung by their predicament, not to mention the embarrassment of botching two penalties, continue to push for at least one away goal. But they’re impressing no one with their inadequate efforts. “I live in Greece and the match is available on Chelsea’s website,” says Milto Kal in response to Travis Giblin’s’ question earlier. “I think it’s available for most countries (not for the UK though). Hope this helps.”
84 min: Atletico catch Chelsea out with a clever short corner, but Meseguer fails to take advantage, donking a woeful shot wide from 10 yards.
Penalty saved!
Berger makes amends by saving a penalty for the second time today! Truth be told, Van Dongen’s spotkick was as weak as Castenallanos’s one in the first period, but the keeper still have to stop it, and also show courage to smother the rebound. She took a kick while doing that and may need to be replaced.
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PENALTY TO ATLETICO!
Just as Chelsea seemed to be on easy street, Berger makes a gaffe, hurtling out to claim a through-ball she was never going to get. Ludmila beats her to it and then gets clatterdd by the keeper, who, what’s more, hurt herself in the process. Atletico have their second penalty of the match and a chance to change this tie by claiming an away goal!
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78 min: Chelsea substitution: Reiten on, Kirby off.
76 min: Atletico substitutions: Laurent and Knaak on, Duggan and Ajibade off
74 min: Brights puts a dangerous cross out for a corner. Santos plays it short to Meseguer, who clips it into the area. Berger punches clear.
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72 min: Atletico have totally wilted. Chelsea are bossing this. They look fitter, sharper and all-round better. I’m hoping you and your readers can help me,” pleads Travis Giblin. “How is it you are watching the game live?” At home in my pyjamas, why? “I’m in Canada and I can’t find where to watch anywhere. DAZN, which has the rights to UEFA events in Canada and has shown the semi finals and final in the women’s game, isn’t showing the round of 16 (which is ridiculous and an incredible double standard, but I’ll save that complaint directly for DAZN and UEFA...).” OH, I see what you mean. It’s live on BT Sport in the UK. @I checked out the UEFA app’s. Their Champions League app doesn’t even acknowledge a women’s game (a future email will be directed to UEFA) and the UEFA.tv app offers me highlights of the 18/19 and 19/20 season. Not exactly known as ‘current events’ or ‘live football’. Thanks for your and others assistance!”
69 min: Chelsea substitution: Cuthbert replaces Ji, who had a good game.
67 min: Berger grabs a humdrum shot from Ludila. That was Atletico’s best effort of the second half, possibly of the match. They’ve been disappointing, to be frank.
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GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Atletico (Kirby 63)
Moments after hitting the post following a brilliant run, Kirby gets another chance. She sends a low right-footer into the bottom corner, beyond the rather feeble dive of the goalkeeper. The 10 players are in command!
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61 min: Chelsea aren’t satisfied with one! Charles make a braek from the back and then supplies Kerr, who faces up Tounkara and then tries to smash one into the top corner from 20 yards. But it veers wide.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Atletico (Mejlde pen 57)
The Norwegian steps up and guide an impeccable sidefooter right into the corner. The keeper went the right way but couldn’t get close to it! Chelsea have the lead despite being down to 10 players since the 12th minute - and they deserve it!
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PENALTY TO CHELSEA!
Kerr latches on a long ball and carries it into the box. Tounkara catches her with an ill-timed tackle and the ref points to the spot!
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55 min: Cheslea are more dynamic than Atletico, so much so that you wouldn’t know the hosts are down to 10 players if you hadn’t seen Ingle’s early dismissal. And just as I write that, Ji shows a bit too much oomph and cops a yellow card for lunging into a tackle she was never going to win.
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53 min: Another blunder at the back by Atletico presents Chelsea with a chance. Ji opts to shoot from long range, and her effort swerves wide.
49 min: Nice work by Kerr and Kirby down the right. Harder can’t quite get on the end of the Kirby’s cross but it breaks to Ji, who smashes a half-volley just wide. This is pretty encouraging from Chelsea: they’re looking more coherent and stronger than Atletico, who may have more players but don’t have much of a clue when it comes to creating.
47 min: A sloppy pass at the back gives Kerr a chance to make the night much better for Chelsea, but she bangs her shot into the sidenetting!
46 min: No personnel changes during the break. Atletico get the second half going. Have they figured out a way to penetrate? Or will then 10 players hold on for a draw, or even nick a win despite their disadvantage?
Half-time: Chelsea 0-0 Atletico
Chelsea will be content with that scoreline, considering they looked set to fall behind when Ingle was sent off in the 12th minute. But Berger saved Castellanos’s penalty and, after a reshuffle, Chelsea have looked solid despite their numerical deficiency. They even look the more dangerous side on the break. An away goal would be precious to Ateltico but they haven’t done enough to earn one.
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45 min: Andersson clips the freekick into the six-yard box. Lindahl jumps above a crowd of bodies and pushes it away.
44 min: Castellanos, who missed the penalty, is now booked for pulling down Ji wide on the left. Chelsea have a freekick in a dangerous position....
41 min: Atletico are showing a real lack of ideas. You can almost see them scratching their heads when faced with Chelsea’s diligent defence. They weren’t expecting to have so much of the ball and they don’t quite know what to do with it.
38 min: Bright causes trouble in the opposing box after going up for what turned out to be a cleverly taken freekick. But the Ateltico defence scramble and eventually stop Bright from getting off a clear shot.
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36 min: Hayes can be reasonably satisfied with how things have gone since her side were reduced to 10 players. They have kept Atletico at bay fairly comfortably since then, especially since the introduction of Charles and the reshuffle. Atletico, who’ve also had to adjust their pre-game strategy to try to make the most of the situation, are finding it hard to play through them.
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32 min: That’s better from Chelsea. Ji scraps for possession in the centre circle and then plays a lovely exchange with Harder and slips a fetching pass through to Kerr. But it’s agonisingly too long, as the ball runs out of play before Kerr can reach it.
28 min: Chelsea have shifted into something clsoe to survival mode. They’re having to chase the ball a heck of a lot and when they eventually get it, they are not especially enterprising with it. With the exception of Harder, who is playing with barnstorming directness whenever she gets into the action. But that’s not often. Other than that, long crossfield balls from Bright are about all Chelsea have been able to offer in attack since the red card.
25 min: Toukana storms forward and feeds Castellanos, who skips past two at the edge of the box before unleashing a shot that’s deflected wide for a corner. Kerr clears the setpiece. But the pressure on Chelsea is growing.
23 min: Brights sends another long diagonal pass into the left-hand channel. This time it’s Kerr who collects it, and she scampers into the area. But Tounkara strides over to stop her progress.
20 min: Chelsea substitution: Charles replaces England as Chelsea try to adapt to the red card. The new arrival slots in at right-back.
19 min: Duggan’s cross from the left is headed out to the edge of the area, where Castellanos arrives to tonk it way over the bar.
17 min: Chelsea got off the hook with Berger’s penalty save but the dismissal of Ingle certainly seems to have changed the complexion of the game, with Atletico suddenly more assertive, keen to make the most of their numerical advantage.
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Penalty saved!
14 min: Berger goes the right way and parries a weak low spotkick by Castellanos!
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PENALTY AND RED CARD!
Ingle is sent straight off for tripping Ajibade after being caught out by a long ball. What a setback for Chelsea!
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10 min: Kirby floats a dainty ball into the mixer. When a defender heads it downward, Harder pounces, shooting on the turn from 12 yards. Lindahl reacts smartly to tip it over the bar.
7 min: Chelsea are starting to enjoy plenty of possession but Atletico are quick to counter-attack when they win it. Ludila has just offered a good example of that, dashing down the and sending in a dangerous cross that Chelsea eventually cleared.
4 min: Brights sprays a long diagonal pass from inside her own half to Ji, who takes it down on the left-hand side of the box visitors’ box. She has plenty of time and space and elect to shoot low and hard for the far corner .... but she’s got her geometry wrong, as the ball whizzes wide of the post.
3 min: It’s been a high-tempo start, with both sides keen to play their way forward when they get the ball, and to win it back soon after losing it.
1 min: Off we go. Chelsea do the honours - and get off a shot within 10 seconds, Harder lashing one just wide from 12 yards after pouncing on bouncing ball in the box following a long ball into the area.
Chelsea make their way on the grass, looking very relaxed. Atletico trot along behind them and they don’t exactly appear to be racked by nerves either.
Emma Hayes speaks
“It’s fair to say this is the tie of the round. It was the time I was hoping to play because I want us to be tested and see how much we’ve built on the work that has been done over the years ... I hope we get off to a good start today against a very good Atletico team.”
Teams:
Chelsea: Berger; Mjelde, Bright, Ingle, Anderson; Harder, Leupolz. Ji; Kirby, England, Kerr
Subs: Musovic, Orman, Blundell, Carter, Reiten, Fleming, Charles, Cuthbert, Spence, Fox
Atletico: Lindahl; Alexandri, Tounkara, Van Dongen, Strom; Silvia Meseguer, Santos, Duggan; Ludmilla, Castellanos
Subs: Peyraud-Magnin, Kazadi, Knaak, Sampedro, Laurent, Bernabe, Garcia, Nkout, De la Cruz
Referee: T Olofsson (Swe)
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to the first leg of the 16 tie that Emma Hayes said she had been hoping for. The Chelsea manager claims Atletico Madrid are precisely the opponents she would have chosen to face if the decision had been hers, because because she’s keen to see how her team do against José Luis Sánchez Vera’s side. Atletico will hardly be daunted by facing English opposition – they’ve knocked Man City out of this competition twice in the last two years, after all – but Chelsea, as English champions and league leaders, are formidable adversaries, especially with Fran Kirby and Millie Bright fit again.
It will be interesting to see what sort of shape Atletico are in, as they haven’t played for three weeks owing to the international break. Chelsea will be hoping to rack up a lead to take into next week’s second leg, which will be played in Italy, and that, of course, will mean firing at least one goal past none other than Hedvig Lindahl, the goalkeeper who was once a major contributor to Chelsea’s success. Kickoff is at 7pm Kingsmeadow time.
