Pernille Harder scored her second goal in the draw with her former club from the penalty spot
Chelsea reached the semi-finals of the women’s Champions League when they defeated two-time winners Wolfsburg 5-1 in the quarter-finals.
Pernille Harder and Sam Kerr were back on target, and Fran Kirby also scored a week after their 3-0 win in the second leg pushed the first leg 2-1.
In the last four games they face either Bayern Munich or Rosengard from Sweden.
Harder scored a penalty in the first half and Kerr shot home shortly afterwards before Kirby scored a late third goal.
Two goals within four minutes in the first half in Hungary put Emma Hayes’ side out of sight as they booked a place in the semi-finals for the third time.
They also avenged their semi-final defeat in the 2018 Champions League against the same opponents and only secured their second victory in eight encounters with Wolfsburg.
Harder and Kerr strike again
The Germans started the stronger of the two teams in the warm sunshine at the Szusza Ferenc Stadium in Budapest and looked for a goal that would have made up for the draw overall.
The impasse was broken, however, after Wolfsburg center-back Sara Doorsoun-Khajeh’s Australian striker Kerr stumbled in the penalty area as she sped over the top to Harder’s ball.
Former Wolfsburg striker Harder, who scored his team’s second goal last Wednesday, stepped up and sent the goalkeeper off the pitch in the wrong direction to give Chelsea a 3-1 lead and an away goal.
Moments later, they were given a big break when Ewa Pajor missed a great chance to level the second leg from just five meters away. She ran past the back post to hit Fridolina Rolfo’s ball from the left over the six-yard box, but saw that her extended effort went far than it looked easier to hit the target.
The relief for Chelsea was even greater when Kerr doubled their lead just a minute later with their 20th goal of the season and their second draw.
Sophie Ingle’s delicate ball into the box was knocked down by Kerr before turning Doorsoun-Khalej around and firing a low right-footed shot into the net.
Kirby adds the shine
Chelsea continued to control the game after the break, although he may be expecting a resurgence at Wolfsburg.
Their serenity and patience was rewarded within the last 10 minutes as they burst forward and took advantage of the space in the background.
Shortly after falling off the bench, Ji So-Yun put on a perfect pass for Kirby to come home under the body of Wolfsburg goalkeeper Katarzyna Kierdrzynek.
While the Blues probably rode their luck in the first leg, the second was more cruise control.
Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger did not concede a goal again when she refused Zsanett Jakabfi some consolation with a few clever saves in stoppage time.
Chelsea are expected to face their German competition again at the end of April. Bayern have a 3-0 lead in the first leg over Rosengard. The second leg begins on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. CET.
The semi-finals will take place on April 24th and 25th and May 1st and 2nd. The final will take place on May 16 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
