Ajax 0-3 Chelsea: Sjoeke Nusken bags brace as WSL champions cruise to comfortable win in Champions League tie

Chelsea have one foot in the semi-final after an emphatic 3-0 victory over Ajax in the first leg of their Women's Champions League quarter-final.

Lauren James and Sjoeke Nusken, the emergency strike partnership who saw off Arsenal in the WSL on Friday, did it again in Amsterdam. James opened the scoring before Nusken scored twice to continue her outstanding form. Nusken has now scored four goals in five days.

James thought she was offside when she walked round Regina van Eijk in the 20th minute, but VAR proved otherwise. Nusken inadvertently caused a Guro Reiten goal to be disallowed on the stroke of half-time – but she made amends moments later by sliding Reiten’s superb cross into the net.

A young Ajax side had started well, with their record goalscorer Romee Leuchter hitting the post early on, but the timing of Chelsea’s second goal flattened them.

Chelsea managed the second half expertly, controlling the game without ever needing to hit top gear. The only question was whether they would get any more goals. Nusken provided the answer with a bullet header from the substitute Catarina Macario’s cross.

There are bigger tests ahead – including, almost certainly, the reigning champions Barcelona in the semi-finals – but every victory increases Chelsea’s chances of an astonishing quadruple in Emma Hayes’ final season. They are top of the WSL with six games remaining, face Arsenal in the final of the League Cup at the end of March and will play Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final.

A domestic treble would be nothing new to Chelsea and, while they will be desperate for another, the Champions League is the trophy they really want. They reached the final in 2021 but were blown away by Barcelona, then lost a tight semi-final to the same opposition last year. With Barcelona facing Norwegian outsiders Brann in their quarter-final, the likelihood is of another meeting between two giants of European football.

When Emma Hayes signed Sjoeke Nusken from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, it’s highly unlikely she envisaged playing up front in a Champions League quarter-final. But with so many forwards unavailable, including Sam Kerr, Mia Fishel and Mayra Ramirez, Nusken has filled in to spectacular effect. She scored twice against Arsenal in the WSL on Friday, though the second goal was a fluke and she looked a little embarrassed. There was nothing to be sheepish about in Amsterdam: Nusken took both goals like an experienced centre-forward.

Ajax Van Eljk 6; Keijzer 5, Kardinaal 7, De Sanders 6, De Klonia 6; Noordam 6, Van Gool 5, Yohannes 6; Grant 7, Leuchter 6, T Hoekstra 6.
Substitutes: Van de Velde 6, Noordman 6, Keukelaar 6.

Chelsea Hampton 6; Perisset 6, Carter 7, Buchanan 7, Charles 6; Rytting Kaneryd 6, Leupolz 7, Cuthbert 8, Reiten 7; Nusken 8, James 8.
Substitutes: Ingle 6, Macario 7, Lawrence 7, Cankovic 6, Beever-Jones 6.

7’ - LEUCHTER HITS THE POST! A real scare for Chelsea. Yohannes threads a nice pass through to Grant on the edge of the area. She touches it square to Leuchter, who slips as she shoots but gets enough on the ball to hit the face of the far post!

20’ - GOAL! Ajax 0-1 Chelsea (James) Nusken's short-range through ball ricocheted off two Ajax defenders and ran through to James, who strolled round Van Eljk in slow motion to score. James' body language suggested she knew she was offside when Nusken played the ball - but she wasn't! The flag went up on the field but the decision was overturned by VAR.

43’ -GOAL DISALLOWED! Ajax 0-1 Chelsea After a check that took almost five minutes, Reiten's goal is disallowed for offside against Nusken.

44’ – GOAL! Ajax 0-2 Chelsea (Nusken) Well that's how to make up for it. Moments after play resumes, Reiten hits a devastating low cross that is slid into the net from five yards by Nusken. It's her first Champions League goal. James did well in the build-up because she was miles offside but ignorted the ball so that it could run through to Reiten.

83’ - GOAL! Ajax 0-3 Chelsea (Nusken) Sjoeke Nusken can't stop scoring! Macario picked her out with a terrific deep cross from the right, and Nusken thumped a superb header past Van Eijk. That's her fourth goal in two games.

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