Chelsea draw Ajax in Champions League quarter-finals

Chelsea Women team line-up — Chelsea have reached the Champions League semi-finals twice in the last three seasons

Chelsea have been drawn to face Dutch side Ajax in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League.

Emma Hayes’ side are the only British team left in the competition.

The quarter-final first leg in Amsterdam will take place on March 19/20, with the second leg a week later in London on March 26/27.

Should Chelsea beat Ajax, they will face the winner of the tie between holders Barcelona and Norwegian side Brann in the semi-finals.

The other two quarter-finals see Lyon face Benfica and Paris St-Germain play Hacken.

If Chelsea were to reach the May 25 final in Bilbao, Spain, against one of Benfica, Lyon, Hacken or Paris St-Germain, they would be the designated home team.

Chelsea reached the quarter-finals after finishing top of Group D, ahead of Swedish runners-up Hacken, Spanish club Real Madrid and French outfit Paris FC.

The London side are unbeaten in this season’s competition, winning four and drawing two of their six group matches.

Blues boss Hayes will be eyeing silverware in her final season at the club before departing to lead the United States national side.

Last season, Chelsea reached the last-four stage before being knocked out by Barcelona, who they could face again in this season’s semi-finals.

Chelsea’s best performance in the competition came in the 2020-21 season, reaching the final before losing 4-0 to Barcelona in Gothenburg.