Mayra Ramírez opener eases Chelsea into WCL semi-finals despite Ajax rally

Chelsea progressed to the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League despite being held at Stamford Bridge by a stubborn Ajax. Mayra Ramírez fired the hosts ahead before Chasity Grant levelled in the second half to ensure parity on the night. It was a result that mattered little, however, as Chelsea went through 4-1 on aggregate.

The manager, Emma Hayes, acknowledged the test while expressing her contentment with her much-changed Chelsea side. “They could have scored; we could have scored more in the first half,” she said. “But when you make so many changes, you have to expect there will be a disruption … [At 4-0 up] we relaxed a little. We’re through and I’ll focus on that.”

It has been a relentless month for Hayes’ side with this their seventh fixture in March. This, combined with the fact that Chelsea had brought a comfortable 3-0 lead back from Amsterdam, meant mass rotation was understandable. There were seven alterations to the team that had beaten West Ham with Zecira Musovic getting a rare outing in goal and Fran Kirby returning. Ramírez, meanwhile, made her Champions League debut after returning from injury.

Despite the first-leg score, Suzanne Bakker’s young Ajax team proved they cannot be underestimated. Hayes’ and Erin Cuthbert’s pre-match warnings against complacency were testament to the threat they can pose. They welcomed back their experienced captain, Sherida Spitse, while Jonna van de Velde came in for the suspended Lily Yohannes.

Chelsea were right to be wary as Ajax came out with intensity. Spitse headed a corner narrowly over the bar before Nadine Noordam almost profited from a Musovic error.

No matter how much Ajax pushed, however, Chelsea’s variety of threats in attack were always present. Aggie Beever-Jones had the beating of Daliyah de Klonia and it was through her that the hosts’ best moves came. She set up Cuthbert with a pinpoint cross that the Chelsea captain could only turn wide.

The first half ebbed and flowed, and Ajax should have punished the Blues’ lax possession. Romée Leuchter almost capitalised from a turnover but dragged her effort wide before Tiny Hoekstra charged down Musovic’s clearance only for it to trickle past the post.

When playing Chelsea, you have to take your chances or they will punish you. That is exactly what Hayes’ side did with half an hour played. Cuthbert won the ball back brilliantly in the middle and Guro Reiten played it perfectly through to Ramírez. The Colombian international possesses incredible pace and there was nothing Regina van Eijk could do as she bore down on goal to turn the ball home.

Bakker relieved the struggling de Klonia, bringing on 20-year-old defender Milicia Keijzer to try to nullify Beever-Jones’ potency. Her team started the second half with renewed intent and Leuchter had two chances early on that were kept out well by Musovic.

With Chelsea struggling to regain a foothold in the game, the visitors were rewarded for their continued efforts with an equaliser. Hoekstra spotted the run of Grant through the middle and picked her out perfectly. With Musovic rushing out of her goal, the attacker took aim and the ball nestled in the back of the net despite the keeper getting a hand to it. On reflection, she will know she should have done better.

It was a goal that brought changes from Hayes in a bid to kickstart her attack. They had little effect, however, as Ajax continued to threaten. Musovic made up for her earlier error when she tipped efforts from Leuchter and Danique Tolhoek wide.

As the clock ran down, Ajax’s hope ran out as Chelsea booked their place in the last four for a second successive year. Barcelona or SK Brann await but Hayes will take nothing for granted knowing they had been tested. “We expect to be here,” she said. “I don’t make any excuses – we should be at this level and we should be at the semi-finals … But we haven’t won anything. We’re in the place we want to be. I don’t know who the opponent will be but we’re ready.”