23 March 2023 , 12:28
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Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said it was "a job half-done" after her side gained a crucial Champions League first leg win over holders Lyon.
The in-form Guro Reiten got the goal in the 28th minute to secure a 1-0 quarter-final victory, against a side who have dominated women's European football for the best part of the previous decade. But Lyon have been more vulnerable this season, Arsenal beating them 5-1 in the group stage, and Chelsea were good value for their win.
Despite this Hayes said she was initially "frustrated" with her team after their start to the game and said they needed the goal to settle them down. The Blues will now host Lyon in the return leg next Thursday knowing a draw will be enough to take them back to the last four of the Champions League.
But the Chelsea boss is taking nothing for granted. "Luckily, I got the opportunity to settle them down" (after the goal) explained Hayes. "I was frustrated. We weren’t doing things I wanted us to do. I just reminded them to do those things. The way we scored the goal was exactly what we’d worked on, even though there was a second phase Erin won.
"It will give the team a lot of confidence. We looked nervous the first 15 minutes. Sometimes nerves manifest in looking like you’re plodding around. I could see a lack of movement.
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"But once we settled, we grew into the game. We got more and more confident. The result, and keeping a clean sheet, will give the team that confidence.
"We have massive respect for them. To win 1-0, I’m satisfied, but we know it’s only half-time and there’s things to improve on."
Guro Reiten celebrates after Chelsea get a crucial goal in their first leg with LyonReiten's goal came after a superb 'no-look' pass from Erin Cuthbert who gave a superb display on her return from injury. Although Millie Bright was forced off injured in the only disappointment of the night for Chelsea, Hayes' backline stayed strong and restricted the holders to few clear cut chances.
"Erin hasn’t played since the Continental Cup final," Hayes added. "And she’s only been back in training since Monday with the team.
"I didn’t really know how her legs would be, but we all know she has the heart of a lion, and she delivered the job we were looking for. I’m used to seeing that from Erin, and putting Guro in that position.
"As I said to Guro, what a fabulous right foot you’ve got, maybe you could use it a little more often! We’ve been working in the last few games to really get back to our core.
"We pride ourselves in defending a certain way. Sometimes when you try and be a bit more expansive you end up conceding a little bit more. You can’t have it both ways.
"The personnel we have is better suited to being really compact. The Man United performance and tonight is more in line with who we are as team. I'm confident we have the players that can be better going forward, but I don’t want to underestimate how hard it is coming here in the quarter-finals. It’s intimidating, and we managed that really well."
Chelsea's London rivals Arsenal are also still in the Champions League, but they will have to come from behind after losing their first leg 1-0 away to Bayern Munich.
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