LONDON (AP) — Chelsea staged a big first-half comeback to march into the semifinals of the Women’s Champions League with a 3-0 victory over Manchester City on Thursday.
Sandy Baltimore scored early in the all-England quarterfinal at Stamford Bridge before Nathalie Björn and Mayra Ramírez netted in a five-minute span to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg and set up a last-four matchup against defending champion Barcelona.
“We were never in doubt," Chelsea captain Millie Bright told TNT Sports. “We had full confidence in ourselves. We could have had way more than three goals. Unbelievable mentality and desire to come back. A true Chelsea performance.”
Baltimore gave Chelsea a 1-0 lead on a rebound with a left-footed, one-timed strike after a low shot from Lucy Bronze hit the post in the 14th.
Björn headed in to double the advantage in the 38th before Lauren James set up Ramírez, whose shot beat goalkeeper Khiara Keating and put Chelsea ahead 3-2 on aggregate.
Last week, City had ended Chelsea’s unbeaten run with a 2-0 victory to become the first team to defeat Chelsea under coach Sonia Bompastor — in her team’s 29th game of the season.
Barcelona routs Wolfsburg
Barcelona remained on course for a third straight Women’s Champions League title after routing Wolfsburg 6-1 in the second leg of their quarterfinal encounter.
Forward Salma Paralluelo and Clàudia Pina each scored twice as Barcelona reached the semifinal on a massive 10-2 aggregate score. The Catalan powerhouse has scored a total of 36 goals in eight games in the competition this season.
Barcelona won 4-1 in the first leg last week in the first meeting of the two teams since the Spanish side beat Wolfsburg 3-2 in the 2023 Champions League final.
It was nowhere near that margin again at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
Paralluelo completed a fast move with a clinical left-footed low finish from the left corner of the area 10 minutes in. Only 10 minutes later, Esmee Brugts cut back for her from the left to add the second from inside the box before dancing with her smiling teammates in celebration.
Brugts made it 3-0 with a powerful drive from some 20 meters (yards) to beat goalkeeper Anneke Borbe.
Pina controlled the ball with her left foot before unleashing a right-footed strike from the edge of the area to add the fourth in the 62nd, less than four minutes after coming on as substitute.
Only then did Wolfsburg respond, when substitute Lineth Beerensteyn scored with her first touch of the ball.
But Pina curled in a free kick for her second and seventh of the campaign in the 77th and María León netted the sixth from a long-distance free kick in stoppage time.
“Alexia (Putellas) and María León gave me some really good service and when my first touch is good, it helps with confidence," Pina said. "We’re really happy with how we played and what we’ve done.”
Record eight-time winner Lyon outclassed Bayern Munich 4-1 on Wednesday to set up the other semifinal against Arsenal as the London club staged a remarkable comeback to advance with a 3-0 win over Real Madrid.
Barcelona and Lyon have met in the final in three of the past six seasons, including last year.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
The Associated Press
