Atlético will fight Chelsea for a place in the Champions League quarter-finals, a classification that, if fulfilled, It would be the second time in the history of the rojiblanca. For this, there are two intense matches against a complicated rival, who now dominates English football as the leader of the Women’s Premier, commercially known as the Women’s Super League.
More specifically, Chelsea is currently the leader of the Premier with 35 points, three more than Manchester United. A fact that he accompanies with a streak of eleven victories, two draws and a single defeat and a balance of 42 goals in favor and eight against. The ‘blues’ come from thrashing Benfica in the previous round of the Champions League, with an aggregate result of 8-0.
But its superiority is not only measured in results. The team led by Emma Hayes presents a very complete and high-level squad, with international top names such as Bright, Eriksson, Andersson, Leupolz, Fran Kirby, Sam Kerr and Pernille Harder. This last forward, a star of the moment in women’s football, has shown that she has taken the measure in recent years against Atlético.
And it is that the Danish attacker has measured the rojiblanco team four times when she was a Wolfsburg player. It was the double knockout of the sixteenth and eighth in the 2017-18 season and the 2018-19 season, respectively. In the four matches Harder saw the goal, with up to three doubles added against the Madrid.
Chelsea was born in 2004, several years after Atlético feminina emerged (2001). Since then, he has won three Leagues (2015, 2017-18, 2019-20), with a double in 2015, in which he also lifted the Cup. The ‘blues’ are the current champions of the highest competition in English women’s football. A championship that they won after the League was suspended due to COVID-19 and taking into account a coefficient system for points.
“They are showing that they want to become one of the greats of Europe”
The English club has made a strong investment in the female category in recent years, with the great objective of raising the Champions League. This new season they will try again but, first, they will have to overcome an Atlético who clings to the illusion of reaching the quarterfinals for the second time in a row.
“We are with all the illusion of the world to dispute the knockout stages of the Champions”, Sánchez Vera said after learning that Chelsea would be his rival in this European round. “The challenge is exciting. We are facing a Chelsea that is doing things very well and that is investing a lot,” he added, before underlining the strength and consolidation of Emma Hayes’ project as key to Chelsea.
The Atlético coach’s assessment was joined by player Silvia Meseguer. “We want to be in rooms again and for that we are going to have to do two very complete games“said the midfielder.” They are showing that they want to become one of the greats of Europe, “he said about his rival.
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