Chelsea women’s player ratings vs Ajax: Lauren James shines again, while Catarina Macario celebrates an ideal debut in the Champions League.
Meanwhile, a double from Sjoeke Nusken aids the Blues in securing a significant advantage towards reaching the semi-finals.
The English talent sparkled as Emma Hayes’ team edged closer to a potential clash with UWCL title holders Barcelona.
Chelsea is nearly through to the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals after securing a 3-0 victory over Ajax in Tuesday’s comfortable first leg of their quarter-final clash.
Despite a promising start by the Dutch team, defensive errors allowed Lauren James to open the scoring for Chelsea before the 20-minute mark, and from that point, the English champions maintained their lead.
Ajax’s Chasity Grant hit the post early, giving Chelsea a brief scare. However, despite Ajax’s offensive brightness, their defensive lapses led to the opening goal.
James capitalized on a deflected ball from a defender, and as Ajax paused, she scored. A lengthy VAR review later confirmed her goal, establishing Chelsea’s lead.
Following the goal, Ajax appeared discouraged, and their performance declined, letting Chelsea dominate.
The end of the first half saw Chelsea creating multiple chances, and shortly after VAR controversially disallowed Guro Reiten’s goal, Kadeisha Buchanan’s skillful maneuvers set up the play for Sjoeke Nusken to amplify Chelsea’s lead.
Ajax struggled to create significant opportunities in the second half, while Chelsea excelled in counterattacks.
Nusken eventually sealed the deal by converting a fantastic cross from Catarina Macario. Emma Hayes’ squad now has a strong advantage for the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Player ratings from the match at the Johan Cruyff Arena are as follows:
- Hannah Hampton had a shaky moment in the first half but remained solid after that, earning a 6/10.
- Eve Perisset and Jess Carter had solid performances, with Perisset contributing to the defence and set pieces, receiving 7/10.
- Kadeisha Buchanan improved after an initial unsteady period and assisted, receiving 7/10.
- Niamh Charles was reliable defensively, scoring a 6/10.
In midfield:
- Melanie Leupolz and Erin Cuthbert were influential, both securing a 7/10.
- Sjoeke Nusken stood out with her movement and two goals, earning an 8/10.
In attack:
- Johanna Rytting Kaneryd was a persistent threat on the wing, rated 7/10.
- Lauren James played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s success, scoring 8/10.
- Despite a disallowed goal, Guro Reiten was involved in key plays, receiving 7/10.
Substitutes and the manager:
- Ashley Lawrence and Catarina Macario were impactful, with Lawrence involved in the third goal and Macario providing an assist, both scoring 7/10.
- Jelena Cankovic and Aggie Beever-Jones were not rated due to limited playtime.
- Emma Hayes’ tactical setup was effective, earning her an 8/10 for the match strategy.