Chelsea Aims For No Regrets In Women's Champions League Second Leg Against Manchester City

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Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has called on her team to face Manchester City in the Women's Champions League quarter-final second leg without any regrets. Chelsea trails 2-0 from the first leg, where Vivianne Miedema's two goals ended their 31-game unbeaten streak. This defeat marked Bompastor's first loss since succeeding Emma Hayes in May last year, although Chelsea avenged this by defeating City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium four days later.

Thursday's match at Stamford Bridge will conclude a series of four consecutive encounters between Chelsea and Manchester City across all competitions. Bompastor aims to secure a semi-final spot with a victory. "Man City have a lot of quality, and being able to beat them in a final and in the league is a good result against a really tough team," she stated. Despite trailing by two goals, she remains optimistic about overturning the deficit at home.

Chelsea has historically performed well against Manchester City at home, winning five of their last six encounters across all competitions. However, they were defeated in the 2018-19 League Cup semi-final, marking their last non-WSL home game against City. The Blues have also been eliminated from five out of six Champions League knockout ties when losing the first leg, except for their comeback against Bayern Munich in 2020-21.

Millie Bright, who was part of that victorious team four years ago, shares Bompastor's sentiments but emphasises staying composed during the match. "It is a situation where you have to remain calm," Bright said. She highlighted positive aspects from recent performances and expressed confidence in turning things around despite not being in an ideal position.

The Chelsea squad boasts significant experience and leadership qualities, which Bright believes are crucial for navigating challenging situations like this one. "We have got a lot of experience in our squad, a lot of leaders," she noted. With at least 90 minutes left to play, there is ample time for Chelsea to demonstrate their resilience and capabilities as a team.

This upcoming clash marks only the second Champions League meeting between Chelsea and Manchester City following City's 2-0 victory last week. Before that defeat, Chelsea had won all four of their matches against other British teams in this competition.

Bompastor remains hopeful about reversing the scoreline despite acknowledging the challenge ahead. "It is always more difficult when you are losing by two goals," she admitted but added that playing at home boosts their confidence. Her primary wish is for her players to finish the game without regrets.