Chelsea Dominate Celtic to Secure Knockout Stage Berth

Chelsea secured their place in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals with a commanding 3-0 victory over Celtic, who are now unable to progress to the next stage. This victory maintained manager Sonia Bompastor’s perfect record after 11 games in charge with Chelsea advancing with two group matches to spare. After a 2-1 win in Scotland last week, Chelsea wasted no time asserting their dominance in London.

Lucy Bronze opened the scoring just 60 seconds in with a brilliant volley from a corner. Wieke Kaptein added a second midway through the first half, heading in another cross. Eve Perisset sealed the win with a late penalty, further underlining Chelsea’s superiority over a youthful Celtic side. Celtic making their debut in the Women’s Champions League group stage, have yet to earn a point.

Despite a passionate effort, particularly from their noisy travelling supporters, the gap in experience between the two teams was clear. Celtic manager Elena Sadiku acknowledged the learning curve for her squad, who are still adjusting to the level of Europe’s elite. Chelsea’s swift and efficient play made qualifying for the quarter-finals seem inevitable.

Although they only needed a point to progress, they came out attacking from the start with Bronze’s early goal setting the tone. Celtic, who had been tough to break down in the first leg, struggled to contain Chelsea’s offensive pressure and lacked the resources to mount a meaningful challenge.

Bompastor having guided Lyon to success in this competition has seamlessly led Chelsea into the knockout stages. Despite her cautious approach ahead of the game, Chelsea’s performance showed they are building impressive momentum and could be a major force in the competition this season.