A few days before challenging Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Chelsea FC had to work hard to qualify for the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. The Blues finally beat Wrexham after extra time (4-2), at the end of a much more complicated meeting than expected against the Welsh club.
Dominant in possession at the start of the match, the Londoners were quickly surprised. Well organized defensively, Wrexham struck first through Smith (18th). Chelsea, however, reacted before the break thanks to an own goal from goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo (40th).
Returning from the locker room, the Blues tried to accelerate but came up against the Welsh block. Worse, Wrexham regained the advantage from a set piece thanks to Doyle (79th). The London reaction was immediate, with Acheampong equalizing three minutes later (82nd), before Sánchez saved his side against Thomasson (85th) and Pedro Neto’s shot found the bar (89th).
A painful victory
The decision was ultimately made in overtime. Well served in the area by Essugo, Alejandro Garnacho first gave the Blues the advantage with a volley (96th). But Wrexham maintained the suspense until the end, even believing to equalize through Brunt (114th), a goal ultimately refused for offside. Chelsea finally sealed their qualification in added time thanks to João Pedro, scorer in the 120th +5.
The English club therefore won through pain and continued its journey in the FA Cup. But this sluggish performance is not necessarily reassuring a few days before the clash against PSG, Wednesday March 11 in the Champions League. The Parisians have been warned, but so have the Blues.
