Chelsea boss Emma Hayes hopes the 1-0 victory over Lyon and clean sheet can give her side the confidence to get the job done in the second leg of their quarter-final clash at Stamford Bridge next week.
Guro Reiten's first half effort made the difference on the night and gives the Blues a narrow advantage heading into next week. After a shaky start from her side, Hayes was pleased to see the players gain a firm hold on proceedings and hopes the win will instil some confidence moving forward.
"Luckily, I got the opportunity to settle them down," she said post-match. "I was frustrated. We weren’t doing things I wanted us to do. I just reminded them to do those things.
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"The way we scored the goal was exactly what we’d worked on, even though there was a second phase Erin won. It will give the team a lot of confidence. We looked nervous the first 15 minutes. Sometimes nerves manifest in looking like you’re plodding around. I could see a lack of movement.
"But once we settled, we grew into the game. We got more and more confident. The result, and keeping a clean sheet, will give the team that confidence. We have massive respect for them. To win 1-0, I’m satisfied, but we know it’s only half-time and there’s things to improve on."
Defender Millie Bright was forced off through injury just before half-time and it has since been confirmed she will have a scan later this week to discover the extend of the problem.
Losing her services for the second leg, as well as a huge league clash with Manchester City, if she's out for any period of time would be a huge blow for Hayes as the side continue their hunt for silverware this season.
The Chelsea boss also addressed the progress the team have made on the defensive side of their game since the Conti Cup final defeat to Arsenal earlier this month. "We’ve been working in the last few games to really get back to our core," she added.
"We pride ourselves in defending a certain way. Sometimes when you try and be a bit more expansive you end up conceding a little bit more. You can’t have it both ways.
"The personnel we have is better suited to being really compact. The Manchester United performance and tonight is more in line with who we are. I feel confident we have the players that can be better going forward, but I don’t want to underestimate how hard it is coming here in the quarter-finals. It’s intimidating, and we managed that really well.
"I’ve come to expect that maturity. I spoke to the team before the game about pressure situations. They’re moments that reveal your character, your wisdom, your experience. This is a pressure situation and the team delivered those characteristics under pressure.
"I also believe if you build consistency in your habits every day, every game is a Champions League game. We’ve become accustomed to the competition, and we have played with a wise head tonight."
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