Chelsea Ladies knocked out of the Champions League
Chelsea Ladies were knocked out of the Champions League with a 4-1 aggregate defeat by Wolfsburg in the last 16.
Trailing 2-1 after the first leg, Chelsea fell further behind early on when Vanessa Bernauer’s dipping 25-yard shot found the top corner.
Chelsea gave the two-time winners a scare after half-time as Eniola Aluko and Fran Kirby went close.
But an own goal from Claire Rafferty, who also scored an own goal in the first leg, sealed Wolfsburg’s victory.
The German side – European champions in 2013 and 2014 – were more clinical over the course of the tie and, after Bernauer’s superb opener, they almost had a second when Babett Peter shot narrowly wide.
Chelsea had their best spell after the break, when England striker Aluko curled onto the underside of the crossbar.
Moments later Kirby volleyed over from Gemma Davison’s cross, before South Korea international Ji So-Yun went down in the box, but Chelsea’s penalty appeals were turned down.
Wolfsburg’s progress to the last eight was sealed when Caroline Graham Hansen hit the post and England left-back Rafferty turned Alexandra Popp’s shot on the rebound into her own net.
Defeat ended the FA Cup and Women’s Super League winners’ 2015 season and their first European campaign.