Perfect Chelsea cruise past Celtic into UWCL quarterfinals

LONDON -- Chelsea secured their spot in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women's Champions League with a comfortable 3-0 win over Celtic that extended their spotless record under new manager Sonia Bompastor.

The English champions side have won all 11 games under Bompastor this season, to sit top of the Women's Super League (WSL) and their Champions League group.

The Champions League was the one trophy that eluded Emma Hayes in her 12-year spell at Chelsea. The manner of their start this season will have the club's fans dreaming that Bompastor will be able to go one better.

With Chelsea having booked their place in the last eight, it will give Bompastor the opportunity to rotate her team for the remaining Champions League group fixtures.

"I think it's been my mindset from the beginning of the season," Bompastor told a news conference. "I said we play so many games and we need to make sure everyone is involved.

"It's also the opportunity for me to show my trust to my players and squad. But I think it's important because we need to realize it's not possible for a player to play in 90 minutes every three days."

Chelsea needed no warmup time on a frigid night in west London and took a 2nd minute lead through Lucy Bronze. The England international's sweetly caught volley from a Catarina Macario cross flew straight at Kelsey Daugherty in goal, who was unable to get a strong hand behind it.

Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

---

Chelsea smelt blood, with Macario in particular jostling hard in the box and having a couple of early efforts on what was the United States international's first start of the season.

"Tonight, because we wanted to rest some players and also Aggie [Beaver-Jones] suspended, I think it was the opportunity for her to start as a No. 9," Bompastor said. But I think she has a lot of quality to play that position.

"She just needs some time because she's been in and out and I think coming from injury that's never easy to be at your best from your first game, especially when you start ... Not an easy game for the team, for her, but I think she worked hard and that's most important."

Like their opener, Chelsea's second goal also came from a short corner, with Wieke Kaptein deftly heading in Guro Reiten's whipped cross.

Sjoeke Nüsken typified Chelsea's relentlessness in the first half. Celtic were afforded little space in midfield by the Germany international, who expertly spread play wide and launched attacks. The triangles between Nüsken, Reiten and the overlapping Ashley Lawrence had the visitors running in circles.

The manner in which Chelsea pressed forward left their centre-backs isolated against the Celtic forwards on a couple of occasions. But the Scottish side lacked the composure to punish Chelsea in their rare forays into the opposition half.

Mayra Ramírez replaced Macario at half-time and the Colombia international only furthered Chelsea's directness in attack. She tormented Caitlin Hayes with her runs into the box from the right but her cutbacks never quite fell to a blue shirt.

Chelsea didn't let up in their intensity in the second half and the fact that Celtic didn't concede more is down more to their fortune than their fortitude.

The hosts' dominance allowed Bompastor to bring on 17-year-old Lola Brown for her Chelsea debut in the closing stages. The academy-product was serenaded by the home support, who were given further cheer by Ève Périsset's stoppage-time penalty.

"It's a special week for her individually, but also for the club," Bompastor said. "I think I'm really pleased for her having the opportunity to come on, especially in a Champions League game.

"She's been practicing with us and I can see her talent. Even if she's young, she's really dynamic as a player, really smart, really good with the ball and I think she will progress and I think this experience tonight will bring her a lot of joy, of course, a lot of confidence."