Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Women’s Champions League match.
A thrilling trilogy of recent encounters between Chelsea and Manchester City sees its final act play out at Stamford Bridge. Manchester City claimed a 2:0 win in the first leg of this European tie, but Chelsea responded with a hard-fought 2:1 victory at the weekend — their second over Manchester City in domestic competition this month.
Chelsea (women)
Chelsea have won 13 of their last 15 matches in all competitions, with only Brighton (2:2) and Manchester City managing to hold them. Despite losing the first leg of the quarter-final, Chelsea created more xG (1.08–0.94) and looked the more threatening side. They responded perfectly on Sunday with a dominant attacking display (2.67 xG, 28 shots), capped by a decisive goal from Erin Cuthbert off the bench. With momentum back on their side and home support behind them, Chelsea will press from the off.
Manchester City (women)
Manchester City’s first-leg win was built on clinical finishing, but they’ll need more than that in London. They are dealing with an injury-hit squad and have lost four of their last 10 away games, failing to keep a clean sheet in any of them. Defensive lapses have crept in, and a high-intensity Chelsea side may well exploit them again.
Chelsea (women) vs Manchester City (women) Prediction
With superior squad depth, sharper attacking options and the belief from a recent head-to-head win, Chelsea are well poised to mount a comeback. Expect them to hit the net more than once at the Bridge.
