HAYES’ HEROINES THUMP BAYERN TO REACH FINAL

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CHELSEA WOMEN Ji 43 ,

Kirby 10, 90+5,

Harder 84

BAYERN MUNICH WOMEN

Zadrazil 29

CHELSEA WIN 5-3

IAN WINROW

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EMMA HAYES was “overwhelmed with emotion” as Chelsea Women reached the Champions League final for the first time in a sensational match at Kingsmeadow.

Hayes’ side staged a stunning turnaround to overcome a 2-1 first-leg deficit and set up a final showdown with Barcelona in Gothenburg this month.

Late strikes from Pernille Harder and Fran Kirby capped a dramatic end to the game after Kirby and Ji So-yun struck either side of a leveller from Bayern Munich’s Sarah Zadrazil.

The win means Chelsea become just the second English team to reach the final, following in the footsteps of Arsenal, who won the Uefa Women’s Cup in 2007 – and keeps them on course for the quadruple.

Blues boss Hayes (above) said: “I won’t give you loads of platitudes. I have worked my whole life for today.

“I’m so proud of those players, they delivered, they’re resilient and everyone did everything they can. In these situations, it’s so tense.

“This is thousands of hours of work. I am so proud of myself. I am so fortunate to be working for a club I adore. They were always going to be threatening, but the team put bodies on the line.

“Someone described us as ‘mentality monsters’ and we are the best. We have been through a lot together. I have been here nine years and I am going to cry on the way home.

“I want to win and I just love winning. Getting to the final will shut up Europe, in terms of what we are doing in this country.”

Kirby struck in the 11th minute but Zadrazil’s 29th-minute effort restored Bayern’s aggregate lead before Ji scored two minutes before the break.

Harder’s near-post header put Chelsea in sight of the final in the 84th minute, and Hayes’ side weathered heavy pressure before Kirby sealed the win deep into added time with a breakaway, after Bayern keeper Laura Benkarth had gone forward (Kirby and teammates celebrate, top). Chelsea striker Harder said: “It’s amazing. This is why we play football. It means everything.

“We believed from the first minute and it was unbelievable work from the whole team. When my goal went in, it was the best feeling ever.

“When Fran put the last one in, it was a relief. It was too stressful at the end. I went off and it was awful to be on the outside. To win the final would be the biggest thing in my career.”

Barcelona defeated Paris Saint-germain 2-1 in the second leg of their semifinal to go through to the final 3-2 on aggregate.

Lieke Martens scored both goals for Barcelona, with Marie-antoinette Katoto on target for PSG.