Of course, luck doesn’t come in to it. Chelsea ladies face a Wolfsburg side this evening that have previously knocked us out of the Champions League in our only two appearances in the competition.
Emma Hayes side have improved as a group considerably, since those defeats. Of the course it won’t be easy, no games are, once you arrive in the semi-finals of any tournament. The manager knows it won’t be easy, but remains upbeat ahead of the tie at Kingsmeadow.
‘It’s an opportunity for us to show how much we have grown in this competition over the past three years,’ she said.
‘I think you’re going to see a game between two opponents where in the past it was very one-sided, but now there will be a lot more parity between the sides.’
Source: Official Chelsea Website
Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich, Rosengard and Montpellier on route to semi-final. Wolfsburg came through via wins against Atletico Madrid, Fiorentina and Slavia Prague. In 2016 Chelsea lost 4-1 on aggregate to the German’s, in 2015 we lost by the same scoreline. Hayes is expecting more from her side this time round.
‘They have a lot more experience, not just in this competition, but a collective group of players who have been together for quite some time – and I believe that is one of the factors that contributes towards winning the tournament.’
‘But we have shown how resilient we are this season. We’re top of the league, in another FA Cup final and we’ve beaten some quality European sides to reach the semi-finals. We’re coming of age and I expect us to show that in our performance.’
‘We’re not just here to make up the numbers and I think if the tie is still in the balance come the full-time whistle, we’re confident in our ability to deliver a performance away from home.’
Source: Official Chelsea Website
All that remains is for us to with the ladies every success this evening. Come on Chelsea.