Celtic v Chelsea – UEFA Women’s Champions League comes to Paradise

Celtic FC Women should have nothing to fear when coming up against Chelsea tomorrow night in the UEFA Women’s Champions League…

Natalie Ross scores to put Celtic through
Natalie Ross of Celtic scores the winning penalty and books her sides place in the semi final draw during the Sky Sports Cup 1/4 Final. Partick Celtic v Glasgow City. New Douglas Park, Hamilton, 10/11/2024. Image Credit: Colin Poultney/SWPL

Paradise – Make some Noise for the Ghirls

In front of a noisy Celtic Park, Elena Sadiku’s side will face the exciting prospect of the current  WSL champions. Chelsea have been crowned champions in England for five consecutive seasons and will undoubtedly be the Swede’s most challenging opponent as Celtic boss yet.

This season has been a chaotic one so far for Celtic. On the domestic front, an incredibly competitive top-flight sees the Scottish champions sitting in 4th spot, and amazingly only two points off league leaders Glasgow City who are on 31 points.

 Morgan Cross denied
Lee Gibson of Glasgow City gets her fingertips to the ball denying Morgan Cross of Celtic during the Sky Sports Cup 1/4 Final. Partick Celtic v Glasgow City. New Douglas Park, Hamilton, 10/11/2024. Image Credit: Colin Poultney/SWPL

Playing Extra-time on Sunday hardly idea 

Despite Celtic playing 120 minutes in their 0-0 draw with Glasgow City on Sunday in the SWPL Cup quarter-final, that should not be used an excuse heading into an important Champions League outing with the Londoners.

Defeating Glasgow City on penalties and progression to the semi-finals could prove to be a huge confidence booster for Sadiku’s Ghirls who done it the hard way at New Douglas Park after being denied a goal when the referee failed to notice that the ball had gone over the Glasgow City goal-line. Honest mistakes happen in the women’s game too folks!

Here are the match highlights…

Chelsea among the favourites to win Champions League

Meanwhile, Sonia Bompastor’s side will be Celtic’s seventh European contest so far this campaign, and due to having to negotiate intense qualifiers, Chelsea will become the Hoops’ sixth opponent in the Champions League since the beginning of September.

Shannon McGregor
Shannon McGregor of Celtic and Sofia Maatta of Glasgow City challenge for the ball during the Sky Sports Cup 1/4 Final. Partick Celtic v Glasgow City. New Douglas Park, Hamilton, 10/11/2024. Image Credit: Colin Poultney/SWPL

Two defeats on the trot in Europe’s elite club competition, firstly to class act Dutch team FC Twente, and then Real Madrid in the Spanish capital three weeks ago means that the Chelsea encounter is a must win if the Celts have any aspirations of wanting to go beyond the groups.

Celtic looking for a first win for a Scottish side over an English team

Understandably, it will be a tough ask. History is not kind to Celtic, and Scottish clubs in particular heading into tomorrow’s meeting in Glasgow’s East End. There have been five previous battles between Scottish and English sides in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. On all five occasions, the English team has come out on top.

Also, Chelsea are not only unbeaten in their last 14 Champions League group stage games, the Light Blues have not been beaten away from home in Europe in a staggering 11 matches. However, records are there to be broken, and Celtic should have the belief they can defy the odds at Parkhead.

Natalie Ross of Celtic
Natalie Ross of Celtic and Natalia Wrobel of Glasgow City during the Sky Sports Cup 1/4 Final. Partick Celtic v Glasgow City. New Douglas Park, Hamilton, 10/11/2024. Image Credit: Colin Poultney/SWPL

Celtic FC Women’s inaugural outing against an English club

It will be Celtic FC Women’s inaugural outing against an English club. The journey which started in Finland versus KuPS in September has been a remarkable one. Should Sadiku and her players deliver three points, a new chapter will be written for her magnificent side.

Kick off at Paradise is 8:00pm. Live coverage of the match will be shown on TNT Sports 1, and on DAZN. Tickets are still available for the match in the Celtic FC Tickets website. COYGIG!

Conor Spence

About Author

A current third year student studying History and Journalism, Media and Communications at the University of Strathclyde and now writing regularly about the Hoops for The Celtic Star.

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