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Sam Kerr celebrates scoring what turned out to be Chelsea's winner At a glance Result moves Chelsea into the quarter-finals Wolfsburg take deserved early lead through Alexandra Popp Lucy Bronze heads in equaliser just before half-time Sam Kerr grabs second-half winner to guarantee top-four league phase spot for Chelsea PLAYER RATINGS Chelsea ensured they qualified automatically for the Women's Champions League quarter-finals as they came from behind to beat Wolfsburg. Goals from Lucy Bronze and Sam Kerr secured the win that gave Chelsea a top-four finish in the league phase. But it certainly was not easy for the Blues as Wolfsburg were the better side for much of the first half and deservedly took the lead in the 16th minute. A poor clearance by Chelsea goalkeeper Livia Peng was nodded back towards goal by Janou Levels and Alexandra Popp let the ball bounce in front of her before striking in on the half-volley. Wolfsburg had chances to further extend their lead but were dealt a blow just before half-time when Bronze equalised, heading in from a corner. The balance of play switched after that with Chelsea the better side in the second half. They hit the post through Alyssa Thompson, and Kerr secured the win with a looping header. The final few minutes became more nervous than they needed to be for Chelsea as they tried to defend their lead and Vivien Endemann hit the bar, but the visitors held firm to guarantee their last-eight spot. The draw for the Women's Champions League quarter-finals takes place on Thursday, 18 December (12: 00 GMT). Sam Kerr and Lucy Bronze played crucial roles in Chelsea getting the win Chelsea are looking to win the Women's Champions League for the first time and this result firmly keeps them on course to achieve just that this season. But this was a tale of two halves, as while their second-half performance made them worth winners, the first-half display was nervy and littered with mistakes. Indeed, Wolfsburg could have been out of sight but for two crucial interventions by veteran defender Bronze who first blocked Lineth Beerensteyn's shot on the line before sliding in at the crucial moment to deny Kessya Bussy. It was a calming display by the 34-year-old, who then gave her team an even bigger lift with the equaliser. From then on, Chelsea looked likely winners. The win means Chelsea will not be in European action until March but could face an English opponent in the quarter-finals. If both Arsenal and Manchester United win their play-off fixtures, then one of them would be guaranteed to face the Blues. This will have been a frustrating result for Wolfsburg given their strong performance in the early stages. Even aside from the two crucial blocks by Bronze, the German hosts created plenty of chances and played with a confidence and sharpness that had Chelsea often struggling to get out of their own half. But for whatever reason that all went away after the break, only rediscovering their dominance in injury time as Chelsea retreated to the edge of their own box. The defeat means Wolfsburg finished ninth in the league phase and will be unseeded for Friday's draw for the knockout play-offs. It is back to domestic action for both teams as Wolfsburg host Hamburg in the German top flight on Sunday, 21 December (17: 00 GMT), while Chelsea play Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the Women's League Cup earlier on the same day (13: 00 GMT). After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Head here to get involved Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Last Updated 17th December 2025 at 22: 07 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Stephan Lerch Formation: 4 - 3 - 3 Manager: Sonia Bompastor Formation: 3 - 5 - 2 Manager: Stephan Lerch Formation: 4 - 3 - 3 Manager: Sonia Bompastor Formation: 3 - 5 - 2 UEFA Women's Champions League All competitions All competitions All competitions Match ends, Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies 1, Chelsea Women 2. Second Half ends, Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies 1, Chelsea Women 2. Attempt blocked. Janou Levels (Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Lena Lattwein (Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Thea Bjelde. Foul by Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea Women). Vivien Endemann (Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies) wins a free kick on the right wing. Attempt blocked. Vivien Endemann (Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Corner, Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies. Conceded by Livia Peng. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match because of an injury Lucy Bronze (Chelsea Women). Attempt blocked. Alexandra Popp (Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time. Attempt saved. Wieke Kaptein (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Stina Johannes (Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies). Assisted by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd. Attempt missed. Alexandra Popp (Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Thea Bjelde following a corner. Corner, Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies. Conceded by Niamh Charles. Corner, Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies. Conceded by Niamh Charles. Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Cora Zicai (Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies). Substitution, Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies. Thea Bjelde replaces Sarai Linder. Substitution, Vf L Wolfsburg Ladies. Cora Zicai replaces Svenja Huth. Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.