Chelsea qualify for UWCL knockouts after 3-0 win over Celtic: Five things we learned

Chelsea have booked their spot in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals with a convincing win over Celtic.

FC Twente dropped points in their game vs Real Madrid which meant that a win was all Chelsea needed to secure their place in the knockout stages.

Goals from Lucy Bronze and Wieke Kaptein in the first half, and a late penalty from Eve Perisset extended Chelsea’s winning streak to 11 and ensured that the Blues remained on top of their UWCL group. Youngster Lola Brown also made her Chelsea debut, much to the delight of the 3,931 supporters at Stamford Bridge.

Here are five things we learned from the game:

Bompastor carrying on Emma Hayes’ legacy

Succeeding Emma Hayes seemed like an impossible task, but the new Chelsea manager has had a dream start to life at Chelsea. Sonia Bompastor has now won 11 games in all competitions, taking her within one win of equalling a record set by Emma Hayes. Chelsea face Manchester United next in the WSL which presents a great opportunity for the French manager to match that record and write her name in Chelsea history.

Qualification secured

Bompastor has successfully crossed her first hurdle as Chelsea manager by securing her team’s spot in the Champions League quarter-finals. While qualification to the knockout stages was expected given Chelsea’s star-studded squad, it is never guaranteed and must be earned, as former manager Hayes found out when her side failed to get out of their group back in the 2021/22 season.

Lucy Bronze defies ageing

The England international hasn’t been at her best since joining Chelsea, with opponents specifically targeting her in games earlier in the season. However, the 33-year-old is finding her form again, putting in her best performance in a Chelsea shirt over the weekend against Man City’s dangerous attack, and scoring an acrobatic volley to open the scoring against Celtic, a goal that even left Father Time in disbelief.

Kaptein’s breakout season

Over the summer, Chelsea lost the invaluable experience of Melanie Leupolz and Sophie Ingle in midfield. Leupolz moved to Real Madrid while Ingle suffered an unfortunate ACL injury. Kaptein has been heavily involved in the midfield rotation since joining Chelsea this summer, starting all four Champions League games and displaying a maturity well beyond her years whenever she has put on a Blue shirt. The 19-year-old scored her first Champions League goal with a glancing header and is enjoying a breakout season at Chelsea.

Coping without Buchanan

After beating Manchester City over the weekend, Bompastor revealed that Kadeisha Buchanan suffered a season-ending ACL injury. The Canadian centre-back has been Chelsea’s best defender so far this season, and her absence will certainly be a huge blow for the Blues. New signing Maelys Mpome stepped up and played alongside captain Millie Bright tonight. The duo kept Celtic’s attack at bay, helping their side keep their first clean sheet of the UWCL campaign. While the experienced Nathalie Bjorn remained on the bench for this game, the Blues will need Mpome to step up when called upon just like she did today.