Sunday, May 02, 2021
Centimeters are missing for the CL final
“Huge disappointment” for Bayern women
The women of FC Bayern provide the star ensemble of FC Chelsea with a thrilling semi-final duel in the Champions League, but in the end it is not enough for the Bundesliga club to advance. The chances would have been there very late.
Pumped out, the soccer women of FC Bayern crouched on the lawn and shed many tears. After a big but unfortunate fight in London, the Munich women missed their first Champions League final. The team of coach Jens Scheuer lost the semi-final second leg against Chelsea after two late goals with 1: 4 (1: 2). The Bundesliga leaders won the first leg in Munich 2-1.
Only the second goal by Chelsea’s match winner Francesca Kirby in the fifth minute of stoppage time marked the end of a game that was thrilling until the final whistle. The Englishwoman hit the empty goal because Bayern goalkeeper Laura Benkarth had long since stormed. “The disappointment is huge. We played a good game. Chelsea were not the better, but the more effective team,” commented Bayern coach Scheuer. In the final phase, Klara Bühl almost scored the 2: 3 in the 90th minute, which would have been enough for the Munich women to advance. But Chelsea’s German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was able to parry the shot. Then the Londoners cleared on the goal line.
“Too many individual mistakes”
In the end, the guests simply lacked the necessary luck. In the Kingsmeadow Stadium, both teams were absolutely on an equal footing. Francesca Kirby hit unimpeded with her left foot after ten minutes after a one-two. But the guests hit back – and how: The Austrian Sarah Zadrazil equalized with a remarkable volley from 20 meters under the crossbar to make it 1: 1 (29th). Chelsea’s progress was due to two goals from free kicks. Ji So-Yun scored in the second attempt (43rd). And finally it was the former Wolfsburg Pernille Harder (84th) who was able to head after a free kick from Jessica Carter. The wild rush of Munich afterwards was not rewarded. “We made too many individual mistakes,” Scheuer quarreled in his analysis.
In the premier class final on May 16 in Gothenburg, Chelsea’s women will face FC Barcelona. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, the Catalans defeated Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in their own stadium. Lieke Martens was the match winner for Barcelona with a double. Two years ago, the Bayern women had already been in the semi-finals of the European premier class. At that time, FC Barcelona had proven to be too strong. The goal for Scheuer’s team remains to win the German championship.
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