Chelsea boss Emma Hayes has called on her side to "be brave" when they host Lyon in the Women's Champions League at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues will take a 1-0 lead into the second leg after their narrow victory at the Groupama Stadium last week, with Guro Reiten's first-half effort separating the two sides heading into Thursday night's fixture. Chelsea are hoping to reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since the 2020/21 season, when they progressed all the way to the final before they were beaten by Barcelona.
This season, they finished top of a group consisting of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid without losing a single game. But while the Blues boast a slender lead going into the second leg, Hayes has admitted her side will have to be at their best if they are to send the reigning European Champions out of the competition in West London.
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"We know what to expect. They have been champions of Europe over a long period of time for a good reason," she said in her pre-match press conference.
"We have to have the right mentality. We have to be brave. You have to appreciate their record speaks for themselves. It is important to be aggressive in the right moments, be positive in everything we do and seek to take this opportunity that is there in front of us."
Chelsea's dominance in the domestic game is yet to fully transpire onto the European stage with it being the one trophy that's always eluded them. And with more than 17,000 tickets sold for Thursday's clash - surpassing the club's current Women's Champions League record - Hayes is hopeful the fans will help take her side a step closer to winning club football's most coveted prize.
"I know the entire dressing room are looking forward to this. We know the threat, but we have worked hard. We want to be in these situations," she said.
"We want to be able to impose ourselves and our game in our stadium in the way we want to. It is important as a team to demonstrate that in the right moments."
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