This could have been a potential banana skin in Chelsea’s quest to become European Champions.
With the quarter-final and semi-final draws made at the same time, there was a danger of seeing beyond this last eight fixture with Ajax to a potential match up with three-time winners Barcelona.
But Emma Hayes does not allow her players to get ahead of themselves.
This was a classic Chelsea performance. Professional, efficient and champion-like. This 3-0 win in Amsterdam, courtesy of a Lauren James strike and a brace from Sjoeke Nusken, will surely be enough to see them through to the semi-finals. But Hayes will not view it like that. There is still another leg to play and, in her mind, the job is not done until it is done.
With this Ajax’s first appearance in the knockout stages, Chelsea were considered favourites coming into this tie. But the Dutch side are no means pushovers. They progressed from a group that contained Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Roma and also boasted a formidable record at the Johan Cruyff Arena, having won all three of their group games here.
Sjoeke Nusken (second right) scored a brace for Chelsea as they took a giant step towards the Champions League semi-finals
They showed early on that they would cause Chelsea problems when Romee Leuchter sent a shot against the post from close-range.
But the Blues settled into the game and in the 19th minute they found the opener. Ajax failed to clear their lines and the ball bounced into the path of James, who rounded goalkeeper Regina van Eijk to finish into an empty net.
Ajax’s defenders had assumed James was offside and the nonchalant way the Chelsea forward took her chance suggested that perhaps she did too. The assistant referee’s flag went up for offside as soon as the ball hit the net, but replays showed James was on. A lengthy VAR check ensued before the goal was given.
A crucial second goal came before half-time but there was controversy moments before. Guro Reiten thought she had scored when she turned in James’ cross but VAR deemed Nusken was interfering from an offside position. It was a strange call and one that seemed to anger Chelsea’s players as they immediately found the net again. James plate Reiten in down the left and her cross found Nusken, who finished off a great team move.
Chelsea had several chances to extend their lead further in the second half, with Nusken, Erin Cuthbert and Reiten all going close.
The third goal did eventually arrive in the 83rd minute when Nusken met Catarina Macario’s cross to power a header into the top left corner.
