Sonia Bompastor says Chelsea are able to “embrace the challenge” of dealing with Manchester Metropolis for a fourth time in 12 days with the duty of recovering a two-goal deficit from the primary leg of their Champions League showdown.
Chelsea are in unfamiliar territory. Bompastor’s 28-game unbeaten run as Blues boss got here to an abrupt halt in Manchester final week when Vivianne Miedema got here off the bench to attain twice in 28 minutes and put Man Metropolis accountable for the tie.
However the Frenchwoman insists her aspect’s hopes of one other European semi-final – more likely to be in opposition to reigning champions Barcelona – are nonetheless alive, urging her gamers to finish this extraordinary run of fixtures with “no regrets”.
“I don’t want my players to have any regrets. This is what we want to go for,” she stated. “The preparation of the game is really important. We have talked about the strategy of the game and it’s really important to have everyone on the same page with that. We feel ready, we need to execute the game plan.
“We have now all of the qualities to show issues round. Ninety minutes is a variety of time for us. We’d like a robust begin. Everybody within the membership desires to win this competitors, I nonetheless really feel like we’ve the capability and high quality to show issues round. I informed my gamers final week ‘we’re nonetheless alive’, that is vital.
“Last week was not decisive, we need to respond. I focus a lot on my team. Playing Man City three times you can know more, it’s a really rare situation, but even if I know more I still need time to know [everything] about him [Nick Cushing]. I don’t feel any difference preparing this game. We need to believe and be confident. I just want us to attack the game and have no regrets at the end.”
Cushing looking for enchancment amid pressure of rivalry
Whereas Metropolis maintain the benefit within the Champions League tie, interim boss Nick Cushing is searching for enchancment from Sunday’s WSL loss to Chelsea – though he famous the pressure that has been placed on his squad by the encounters.
“The plan has to be a little bit better,” he stated. “The group did an amazing job over the three games, you can see the games have been even.”
In a blow to Metropolis, Bunny Shaw and Aoba Fujino will each miss the match.
Khadija Shaw and Aoba Fujino are out of the tie
“The medical team and the performance team are doing an incredible job working through the team,” stated Cushing.
“It’s not been ideal over the last two weeks to lose Bunny Shaw and Aoba Fujino and it wasn’t ideal on Sunday, but you look at the group, they’re still training incredibly hard. I still see the belief.”
Yui Hasegawa and Laia Aleixandri are within the squad regardless of coming off with accidents on the weekend – though Cushing stated Hasegawa’s involvement is not assured.
“Having those players back is a testament to them and their commitment but also to the incredible work of the medical team,” stated Cushing, earlier than including, “Yui leaving the ground in crutches and I’m not going to jump the gun and say she’ll be ready.”
Man Metropolis’s final revenge mission
Sky Sports activities’ Laura Hunter:
“If we’re analysing the long game, it’s 2-1 Chelsea. The culmination of this fascinating four-stage fixture bonanza between the Blues and Manchester City will determine who progresses in Europe on Thursday, with Chelsea already conquering their rivals in the League Cup final and WSL by the same 2-1 scoreline.
“Sandwiched between was a shocking 2-0 scalp wherein Vivianne Miedema gave Metropolis the higher hand within the Champions League. What a rollercoaster trip.
“Presumably now the message changes. Nick Cushing will be reiterating to his squad that prior meetings, three in the past 12 days, matter not.
“Metropolis’s WSL hopes had lengthy been over (though they now face an uphill battle to qualify for subsequent season’s Champions League, until they win it, after all) and whereas League Cup silverware would have been candy, the possibility to displace Chelsea in Europe – the trophy they crave most – may properly be thought of sweeter.
“It was Cushing who led City to their previous Champions League semi-finals in 2016/17 and 2017/18 and the prospect of securing a third while besting Chelsea will surely be a major motivator.”
By no means write Chelsea off
Sky Sport’s Laura Hunter:
“Chelsea, who have progressed in all five of their previous European quarter-finals, must overturn a deficit to keep that impressive record intact.
“This isn’t a aspect who’re conversant in dropping or notably used to staging comebacks. Does that make them kind of harmful?
“Sonia Bompastor favours control and authority and yet the scoreline will necessitate more of a handbrake-off approach. “I do know we’ve the standard to reverse the state of affairs however we’ll must be at our greatest,” she said last week.
“Her 28-game unbeaten begin as Blues coach may need been ended by Miedema’s double within the reverse leg nevertheless it’s removed from the Frenchwoman’s decided mentality to shrink back from a problem. It’s going to be fascinating to see whether or not Chelsea set as much as chase or keep affected person of their pursuit.
“Bompastor’s Lyon side roared back from a first-leg loss to overcome Juventus on their way to Champions League glory in 2021/22 – it can be done.
“The ultimate stage of this four-part epic is completely poised.”
