Read Suzanne Wrack match report
That’s it for today’s blog. It’d be great to carry on and bathe in that extraordinary game, but there’s all sorts going on in Manchester so I need to get on that. Suzanne Wrack’s report will appear here shortly - and then, two weeks today, we’ll have live coverage of Chelsea v Barcelona in the Champions League final. Bye!
“I tell you, I’ve gonna have a nice sing-song and I’m gonna cry all the way home, because [mouths silently] I’m so fucking happy! [You’re the first female manager to make it to the CL final for 12 years]. I don’t think about that, I just want to win. I love winning, it doesn’t bore me. It was important for English football that we made it. It’s one of the best in the world and us getting to the final shuts up Europe, in terms of what we’re doing in this country. And now we’ve gotta face another tough team: Barcelona. Wow.”
That interview was almost as good as the match itself.
“We had to cope with differences. They changed something and then we did. They gave us the counter space, which we got the first goal from. I thought we were terrible at conceding set-pieces. Far too many for my liking. Their goal comes when we don’t have a player on the edge of the box. Whatever, there’s too much technical nonsense that you don’t want to hear about. The team put bodies on the line… and I don’t know any more than that.
“Before the game I played them a video from a UFC star. It was about a minute long and she was talking to herself, saying “I am the best, I am the best.” She won the fight and straight after the fight somebody interviewed her and said, “You were saying to yourself, ‘I am the best’.” And she said, “Yeah but I am the best.” That’s what I said to the players before the game. Someone described us as mentality monsters, and we’re the best, and we’re in this position because we deserve to be.”
More from Emma Hayes
“I’m gonna say this to every coach sitting at home. This is thousands of hours, thousands of hours of travelling, thousands of setbacks. I’m so proud of myself that I got to this level through my hard work and determination, and I’m fortunate enough to be working for a football club that I adore, and to work with a set of players that were always in control. I’m glad they were because I never felt I was!”
Here’s Emma Hayes
“That last three minutes, watching the ball go back and forth in our box... My tummy, you thought it went in other games, that was the worst moment... and then to watch the ball go to Fran. I was thinking, ‘Go one v one’, I didn’t realise they didn’t have a goalkeeper! Oh. I’m not gonna sit and give you crappy platitudes. I worked my whole life for today, and I’m so fuckin proud of those players.”
I think we’ll allow her that one.
The bald facts are that Chelsea will play Barcelona in Gothenburg on 16 May. But that doesn’t begin to do justice to a magnificent, wildly emotional game. The last 10 minutes were among the most dramatic and intense that I’ve seen in any sport. And the wonderful moment when Fran Kirby sealed it, and Emma Hayes immediately broke down, will surely launch a thousand memes.
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Beerensteyn was so close to winning that in the 90th minute. Berger made a brilliant save with her feet, but the ball hit Beerensteyn in the six-yard box and bounced towards goal. Beerensteyn was about to ram it into the net when Eriksson improvised to poke it clear.
The Bayern players are broken, Beerensteyn in particular. Emma Hayes is going round the field to commiserate with them all. They gave so much to the game, particularly during an astounding last 10 minutes.
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CHELSEA ARE IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Full time: Chelsea 4-1 Bayern (aggregate: 4-3) That was the last kick of an amazing tie. Players on both sides are in tears, as is Emma Hayes. Just before Kirby’s goal, there was a great chance for Bayern when Dallmann’s cross was headed off target by Asseyi, six yards out. It hit Eriksson and went behind for a corner, and the rest is history.
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With the goalkeeper Benkarth still forward, Chelsea won the ball and Kirby was able to run the ball into the empty net. Emma Hayes immediately broke down in tears, and she’s not the only one. That was an astonishing game of football.
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GOALLLLL!!!! Chelsea 4-1 Bayern (Kirby 90+5)
CHELSEA ARE IN THE FINAL!
90+4 min: Chance for Bayern! And now another corner. This is it.
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90+3 min Cuthbert wastes some time by the corner flag. Chelsea are 20 seconds away from Gothenburg. Not literally.
90+2 min Pernille Harder, who may have scored the winner, is replaced by Drew Spence.
90+2 min Even the keeper Benkarth is forward. Chelsea clear, but only for a throw-in. Zadrazil’s cross breaks for Beerensteyn, whose stinging shot is blocked, and then Kirby does brilliantly to draw a foul from Dallmann.
90+1 min Three minutes of added time. Berger has just wasted 60 seconds, ostensibly with an injury. She’s okay to continue, and Bayern have another corner.
90 min: OFF THE LINE BY ERIKSSON! Oh my goodness! The corner was punched away by Berger, then driven back into the middle. Buhl’s vicious shot was kicked away by Berger, and Beerensteyn’s follow-up was desperately cleared by Eriksson as she fell backwards into the net.
89 min Corner to Bayern. This is unreal. That miss will haunt Sam Kerr forever if Chelsea don’t go through.
88 min: WHAT A CHANCE FOR KERR! Zadrazil’s dangerous cross is headed away by Eriksson, who has had a mighty game. Chelsea break, and in the blink of an eye Kerr is through on goal. She draws Benkarth, opens her body... and sidefoots it just wide!
88 min And now a change for Chelsea: Melanie Leupolz is replaced by Erin Cuthbert.
87 min Another change for Bayern: Simone Laudehr replaces Ilestedt.
86 min Whatever happens in the next four minutes, this has been a sensational game of football.
85 min This is unbearable. Don’t forget that if Bayern score, they will go through on the away goals rule.
Charles drove the free-kick flat and hard towards the near post, where Harder arrived late and steered the deftest of headers past Benkarth!
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GOAL! Chelsea 3-1 Bayern (agg: 4-3, Harder 84)
Chelsea are six minutes away from the final!
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83 min Beerensteyn is booked for a studs-up tackle on Carter, just outside the area on the right.
82 min Dallmann’s close-range shot is blocked brilliantly by the stretching Eriksson. Dear me, this is so tense.
81 min A brilliant break from Chelsea. Harder charges forward and finds Kerr, who looks up and floats the ball towards Kerr at the far post. Wenninger gets back to head behind, yet another vital interception. The resulting corner is headed off target by Kerr, under all sorts of pressure at the near post. It wasn’t really a chance.
80 min Buhl has a shot blocked desperately. There isn’t much in it - there hasn’t been throughout the tie - but Bayern look the likelier scorers.
78 min Oh my goodness. Leupolz, 45 yards from her own goal, overhits a backpass to Berger and is extremely relieved to see it go just wide of the near post.
77 min A brilliant header from Kerr releases Charles on the left. Her first-time cross is hooked away at the near post.
76 min Bayern make a double substitution: Carina Wenninger and Viviane Assayi replace Sydney Lohmann and the injured Carolin Simon.
74 min Simon is really struggling, and I’ll be very surprised if she can continue. For now Bayern are down to 10.
73 min Simon is booked for a foul on Kerr. Both were hurt in the challenge, and Simon is still down. She’s holding her right ankle.
69 min Bayern have dominated possession in the second half. I don’t know whether Chelsea are tired or just wary, but at the moment Bayern look the likelier scorers.
68 min Beerensteyn runs 30 yards to the edge of the area and hits a stinging shot that is blocked by Bright.
67 min Ji lofts a clever first-time pass down the left to Harder. Her cross eventually comes to Ingle, whose shot is blocked. Chelsea keep the ball alive, and moments later Ingle curls a dangerous cross that just evades Kerr (I think) in the middle.
67 min Sheesh this is tense. A goal for either team would put them on the brink of their first ever Champions League final.
65 min “Hi Rob,” says Ursula. “According to German channel Sport 1, Chelsea didn’t provide proper changing rooms with showers and refuse to provide the correct matchball. Could this be true?”
Well it could, but I haven’t heard anything about it. If true, it’s very weird behaviour.
64 min An ingenious flick from Lohmann finds Dallmann, whose cross is kicked away by Bright this time. This is a great spell for Bayern.
64 min The resulting corner flashes across the six-yard box and just past the far post. Bayern are so threatening on set-pieces.
63 min Eriksson makes a vital near-post interception from Dallmann’s low cross. Beerensteyn was waiting behind her to score.
61 min Bayern make their first substitution: Linda Dallmann replaces Lea Schuller, who had a disappointing game and missed a great chance to put Bayern 2-1 ahead in this second leg.
59 min Leupolz’s cross is punched nervously behind by Benkarth, who realised a split-second too late that she could have left it. But she makes up for any mistake with a comfortable claim from the corner.
58 min Kirby’s ambitious through pass towards Kerr is intercepted by Glas. Moments later, Kirby dances away from a defender on the edge of the area and lifts a cross towards Harder that is headed away at the far post.
55 min This is deliciously tense, with both teams unsure whether to stick or twist. A goal for either team would take extra time out of the equation. Schuller’s cross from the right is put behind by the stretching Charles. The corner hits the unsighted Schuller in the face, and there’s a break in play while she gets her bearings.
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54 min A clever touch from Leupolz almost releases Kirby in the area. Glas does well to get between her and the ball.
51 min Thanks to Shaun Williams for pointing out that you can watch the game on YouTube, if you’re in a certain country or know your way round VPNs or whatever they’re called.
50 min Chelsea’s first attack of the second half brings a corner when Kerr’s cross hits Simon. Nothing comes of it.
49 min It’s all Bayern! Buhr beats Charles and clips a superb cross to the far post, where Carter does brilliantly to get in front of Lohmann and head behind for a corner. That was outstanding defending.
47 min Carter is booked for sticking a straight arm into Zadrazil’s face. Bayern have made a very fast start to the second half.
46 min Peep peep! Bayern begin the second half. This is it (unless it stays like this, in which case we’ll have extra time).
Half-time reading
Half time: Chelsea 2-1 Bayern (aggregate: 3-3)
Peep peep! That’s the end of a pulsating half. Fran Kirby’s classy goal put Chelsea ahead, Sarah Zadrazil equalised with a monstrous strike - but then, just before half-time, Ji’s hopeful shot brought the tie level.
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Ji’s free-kick hit the wall and rebounded back to her, 22 yards out. She instinctively helped it back towards goal, and although it wasn’t the cleanest strike, it bobbled almost apologetically into the far corner. Benkarth must have been unsighted because she barely moved.
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GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Bayern (agg: 3-3; Ji 43)
Ji brings Chelsea level on aggregate!
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43 min She should be so lucky - turns out she was booked, I just missed it.
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42 min Ingle sweeps a terrific pass to Kerr, who curls an equally good one across to Kirby. She is taken out 20 yards from goal by Magull, who is lucky not to be booked.
40 min Ji’s long-range shot is headed behind by Hegering. It’s end-to-end stuff, as it has been for most of the first half.
38 min: Great chance for Bayern! Leupolz is robbed by Beerensteyn in the centre circle. She charges forward and plays in Schuller, who slices wide from 12 yards with her left foot. That was a great opportunity to put Bayern in total control of the tie.
37 min I don’t think it was a penalty. Ilestedt did put an arm across Ji as she tried to run onto Charles’ pass, but it looked like Ji slipped.
36 min Chelsea appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty when Ji goes over in the area. The referee wasn’t remotely interested, but I’d like to see that again. If nothing else, Ji’s body language suggested it was a foul. There’s no VAR in the semi-finals.
34 min A Bayern corner is floated to the unmarked Buhl on the edge of the area. She makes a mess of an attempted volley, but that was another worrying moment for Chelsea.
32 min The away goals rule means that, if Bayern get another, Chelsea are in serious trouble. They would have to score at least four.
31 min I’m still reeling from that goal, both the timing - with Chelsea on top - and the manner of it. It was outrageously good.
Bayern go back in front on aggregate with an unreal goal from Sarah Zadrazil! A short corner on the left was cleared as far as Zadrazil, 25 yards from goal. She took a touch and then lasered the ball off the underside of the bar and into the net. Berger had no chance.
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GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Bayern Munich (agg: 2-3, Zadrazil 29)
What a goal!
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28 min Ji has been absolutely brilliant in the first half hour, with and without the ball.
27 min Kirby curls tamely wide from the edge of the area. Bayern would have been fuming had that gone in, as they were sure Harder controlled the ball with her arm in the build up. They had a pretty good case.
25 min Nothing much to report in the last few minutes, though Chelsea are still marginally on top. They’ve been terrific so far.
23 min “Hi Rob,” says Melissa Vásquez. “I’m really grateful for the live coverage of the match, many thanks. When I was growing up this didn’t exist but I look forward to maybe one day having a daughter and her growing up with this professional coverage of the women’s game as the norm.”
21 min Carter’s corner leads to a hopeful shot from Eriksson that is booted away. Tihs is a really good spell for Chelsea.
20 min Leupolz cuts inside from the left and drives a terrific flat cross towards Kerr at the near post. She misses an attempted header - that looked a good chance, albeit a sharp one - and then the off balance Hegering heads not far wide of the far post.
Full time: Barcelona 2-1 PSG (agg: 3-2)
The winners of this game will play Barcelona in the final in Gothenburg!
19 min A snap volley from Leupolz, 20 yards out, swerves well wide. But both sides look really dangerous going forward.
16 min Harder has a long-range shot blocked at the other end. This is great stuff.
14 min: Great block from Carter! Schuller receives a throw-in with her back to goal, turns Eriksson superbly near the byline and drags the ball back towards Beerensteyn, eight yards out. She smashes a first-time shot that is crucially blocked by Carter and deflects behind for a corner. I don’t think Berger would have saved that.
13 min Kirby almost gets a second with a mishit cross/outrageous chip (delete as appropriate) from a tight angle that drifts past the far post. Moments later, Ingle spanks over from the edge of the area. This is really good stuff from Chelsea.
That was a lovely goal, all the work of Fran Kirby and Sam Kerr. Kirby surged through midfield and played an angled pass to Kerr in the inside-left channel. She waited, waited some more and then cut inside Ilestedt before sliding a return pass to Kirby in the area. She took it beautifully in her stride and clipped it coolly over Benkarth with her left foot.
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GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Bayern (agg: 2-2, Kirby 10)
Fran Kirby puts Chelsea ahead in the tie!
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10 min Ji has started very well for Chelsea. Meanwhile, it looks like Carter and Charles have switched to their expected positions, Carter on the right and Charles the left.
9 min Harder cuts inside from the left and drives over from 25 yards.
8 min Buhl moves infield from the right and finds Simon. Her ball forward is overhit and runs through to Berger.
5 min Kirby plays a nice one-two with Kerr but then overhits her through pass to Harder. This is being played at a cracking pace.
3 min It’s been a really fast start to the game. At the other end, Buhl twists inside Charles - who is playing at right back today - and has a shot blocked by Ingle.
2 min Ji’s cross from the right is taken off Harder’s head at the far post by Ilestedt. That was a vital bit of defending.
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1 min Peeeeeeeeeep peeeeeeeep! Chelsea, in blue, kick off from left to right. Bayern are wearing red.
It’s still 2-1 in Barcelona; 16 minutes left.
Here come the players. This is blooming huge.
Barcelona 2-1 PSG (agg: 3-2) No goals so far in the second half in Barcelona. PSG have 23 minutes plus added time to get the second away goal they need.
The pre-match thoughts of Emma Hayes
“Everyone comes to work for days like this. When you think of the sacrifices everyone has to make, it’s for days like today. It’s been a long week waiting for it though! We’re fresh, that’s the important thing. We had a couple of days off and the players are ready to go. It’s massive to have Magda back - beyond her abilities, it’s her leadership. Every team misses their captain.
“It’s 2-1 and we need to score a goal. Let’s not complicate it! I just want the team to perform, to give it everything. Someone said to me that this is like a red-carpet moment. It’s not very often you get the chance to be in these positions, so you have to take them. At the end of the game I’ll either be gutted or delirious.”
Half time: Barcelona 2-1 PSG (agg: 3-2)
It’s all up for grabs in the second half.
GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 PSG (agg: 3-2; Katoto 34)
Or maybe not! Marie-Antoinette Katoto has got one back almost immediately for PSG, and if they get another they’ll be ahead in the tie on away goals!
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GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 PSG (agg: 3-1, Martens 31)
It looks like the winners will be playing Barcelona in the final on 16 May. Lieke Martens has scored her second to put them 3-1 ahead on aggregate.
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A bit of pre-match reading
Two changes for Chelsea from the first leg: the captain Magda Eriksson and Niamh Charles replace Jonna Andersson and Guro Reiten. Eriksson’s return is a big boost for Chelsea, and should mean Sophie Ingle moves into midfield.
Bayern make one change. The prolific Lea Schuller replaces Simone Laudehr, which should mean a switch to 4-3-3.
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Team news
Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Berger; Charles, Bright, Eriksson, Carter; Ji, Ingle; Kirby, Harder, Leupolz; Kerr.
Substitutes: Musovic, Telford, Blundell, England, Reiten, Fleming, Cuthbert, Spence, J Andersson, Fox.
Bayern Munich (4-3-3) Benkarth; Glas, Ilestedt, Hegerin, Simon; Lohmann, Zadrazil, Magull; Buhl, Schuller, Beerensteyn.
Substitutes: Grohs, Lehmann, Boye Sorensen, Corley, Dallmann, Asseyi, Wenninger, Laudehr, Vilhjalmsdottir.
Referee Esther Staubli (Switzerland).
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The other semi-final, between Barcelona and PSG, kicked off at 11am English time and should finish just after this game begins. It’s 1-1 from the first leg, and you can follow it here. As I type, Lieke Martens has put Barcelona 1-0 up with a cracking goal.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Champions League semi-final second leg between Chelsea and Bayern Munich at Kingsmeadow. It’s a measure of Chelsea’s ambition that they could do the domestic treble this season, for the first time in their history, and still spend the summer wondering what might have been. That’s because the one they really want, the one money can’t necessarily buy, is the Champions League.
Chelsea have never reached a final, but this is their third semi in the last four years. And it’s their best opportunity yet to win the thing, mainly because Lyon and Wolfsburg - champions of Europe in nine of the last ten seasons, and the only teams to beat Chelsea in this competition - are out.
Emma Hayes’ team took care of Wolfsburg in the quarters, where Paris Saint-Germain beat Lyon on away goals. There will be a new winner of the trophy this season - PSG, Barcelona, Chelsea or Bayern, who lead 2-1 from the first leg in Munich. It won’t be easy for Chelsea, but nor should it be: this is the Champions League, the trophy that can turn a good season into a legendary one.
Kick off 12.30pm.
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