Chelsea's ambitions to win the Women's Champions League this season were hardly in jeopardy as Murphy Agnew gave Celtic a shock lead. What could have been an embarrassing night for one of Super League's biggest names just became a reality. Simply, as it happened.
Chelsea left Glasgow's East End with their reputations intact despite a red card for Agnes Beaver-Jones in stoppage time. Agnew's goal was Celtic's first in Champions League competition, but it had been overturned by the half-time whistle.
There was also the feeling of an event and performance in front of over 7,000 spectators, which Celtic is proud of. Chelsea never seemed to dominate their opponents. Celtic will be happy that they are slowly finding their footing at this level. Chelsea, who seemed excited by the scare caused by Agnew, are moving towards areas where they really want to make an impact in this tournament. A tougher test awaits. Chelsea will need to be more ruthless. He had over 20 shots on goal and scored two goals, but his returns were meager.
One look at the pre-match odds highlights the challenge facing Celtic. Although some media outlets had them outscoring the Scottish champions by more than 50-1 at home, this scenario only served as a reminder of the gulf between elite women's football north and south of the border. That aside, Celtic have struggled to balance domestic and European football in the early stages of this season.
Celtic's cause has been little helped by intense speculation about a falling out between manager Elena Sadik and Caitlin Hayes, who has missed recent games. Sadiq denied there was any problem between him and Hayes, who the manager said was “resting”, but was the only alternative available for Ireland.
Sonia Bompastre has been spared Millie Bright's move to Glasgow as Chelsea look to the future. Scottish and former Rangers player Erin Cuthbert captained the visiting team. After a quarter of the game, Chelsea's approach was questionable.
Bompastor's side had dominated possession until Murphy Agnew put Celtic ahead. The problem is that Chelsea haven't done nearly enough to test Kelsey Daugherty in the home goal. A great pass from Amy Gallacher freed Agnew. The forward used his pace to get past the Chelsea defense and calmly flicked past the advancing Zesila Musovic. As Celtic celebrated, the Chelsea team convened an impromptu huddle. Their play thus far looked clean, but was completely ineffective. Celtic also threatened to hit back.
The joy of those who fell into the hoop did not last long. Celtic were poking the bears. Daugherty should have saved Maika Hamano's equalizer, but after some great build-up play from Agnes Beaver-Jones, he helped the goalie slot the ball into the net instead. But the goal was a well-deserved reward for Hamano's grace throughout the opening half. After Chelsea burst through down the left, Doherty recovered with a fine stop from Cuthbert. The problem was that Ashley Lawrence was waiting to blow the ball home. As Chelsea chased a third goal before the interval, Cuthbert headed home with a half-volley.
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Lucy Bronze was one of a trio of Chelsea players brought on at the start of the second half. Cuthbert appeared to be enjoying his return, but withdrew. Chelsea's clear aim was to score a third goal that would end Celtic's hopes. To Sadiq's credit, not only were her players trained in shape, but they also refused to deviate from a plan that at least sought to build play from the back. Other teams will panic against Chelsea's high-quality team.
Hayes took to the field just before the hour mark as Celtic looked to stem a steady stream of pressure from the black-clad side. Daugherty made a good save from Katarina Macario. The fellow Chelsea substitute curled narrowly. Meanwhile, Musovic remained on the sidelines. Chelsea's panic was only caused by themselves, with Nathalie Bjorn deflecting Agnew's cross just wide of their own goal in a most unusual incident of Celtic penetrating deep into Chelsea's half. Daugherty denied Johanna Ritting Canelid at close range. There were signs of salvation for Celtic, but Saoirse Noonan blurted out her lines. There is no blushing for Chelsea. A sense of belonging to Celtic.
