Victorious in all three of their group stage matches at the Johan Cruyff Arena, Ajax – the first-ever Dutch side to participate in the knockout stages of the UEFA Women’s Champions League – recalled Kay-Lee de Sanders, Rosa van Gool, Lily Yohannes and Tiny Hoekstra to their XI after comprehensively strolling into the semi-finals of the KNVB Women’s Cup, following a 5-1 demolition of Jong Ajax. 

Meanwhile, Chelsea – the most decorated side in England over the last five years – named an unchanged line-up after their 3-1 victory in the Barclays Women’s Super League over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. 

AJA: Van Eijk; Kardinaal, de Sanders, de Klonia, Keijzer, Noordam, van Gool, Yohannes, Grant, Hoekstra, Leuchter 

CHE: Hampton; Périsset, Carter, Buchanan, Charles, Nüsken, Cuthbert, Leupolz, Kaneryd, Reiten, James 

In their first-ever meeting, Chelsea began assertively, but it was Ajax who came the closest to breaking the deadlock throughout an attack-focused opening quarter-hour in the Netherlands. As Romée Leuchter’s effort beat Hannah Hampton, but not the left-hand post.

However, it was Chelsea who would be awarded the game’s opening goal in the 19th minute – via VAR’s eagle-eye – as Lauren James expertly played to the sound of the whistle, allowing her to remain on-side before taking the ball around Regina Van Eijk, and rolling it into the empty net. 

Not for the first time in the match, Hampton was caught in goalkeeping no-man’s land not long after the opener, as the Chelsea goalkeeper looked relieved to watch Lily Yohannes’ ambitious effort from distance fly over the crossbar. Despite Ajax’s attempts to get back into the game, James thought she had turned provider in the 39th minute to help her side double their lead, as her cross was fired into the net by Guro Reiten. 

Annoyingly for Emma Hayes’ side, VAR once again took centre stage in the match, advising referee Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi, that her initial decision to award the goal should be overturned, due to an offside being present in the build-up. Nonetheless, nothing would stop the reigning Barclays Women’s Super League champions from legitimately taking a two-goal lead into the break on the stroke of half-time. As Sjoeke Nüsken – fresh from her 11-minute double against Arsenal on Friday – clinically converted from close range, leaving Ajax needing a Sherpa to help them climb a second-half peak, if they wanted to salvage anything from the game. 

In front of a bumper crowd of 40,000+ at the Johan Cruyff Arena, Chelsea commenced shortly after the restart as they began the first with a goal-hungry Reiten firing wide of the mark. Sensing she would finally have to do something to try and call Hampton into action, Ajax manager Suzanne Bakker replaced Yohannes with Jonna van de Velde with just under 25 minutes of normal time left in Amsterdam. 

Chelsea captain Erin Cuthbert and James fired efforts towards goal that Van Eijk did well to keep hold of. However, it was Nüsken again who may have put both the first leg, and potentially the entire tie to bed, as she majestically rose above her marker to head home substitute Catarina Macario’s delicious delivery into the danger zone into the back of the net in the 83rd minute.

The relatively comfortable victory for Chelsea gives the Blues every chance of progressing to a mouthwatering semi-final against defending UEFA Women’s Champions League holders Barcelona, or SK Brann, following the conclusion of the second leg at Stamford Bridge in just over a week. 

The second leg of the quarter final stages will take place at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday the 27th of March at 20:00 GMT.