HB Køge Women Qualify for the UEFA Women’s Champions League League Phase

HB Køge Women welcomed PSV Eindhoven to Køge Idrætspark on Wednesday evening for the second and decisive leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifier. The Swans went into the match with a 1-0 advantage following last week’s victory in Eindhoven, putting them in a strong position ahead of the return leg.

The match started at a high tempo, and Kyra Carusa had a huge opportunity to give HB Køge Women the lead in the opening minutes. Somehow, the ball was kept out, and the opening goal would have to wait.

Around the half-hour mark, the Swans created another big chance. Rikke Marie Madsen drove forward down the right before playing a low ball into the path of Nadia Nadim. Unfortunately, Nadia was unable to make clean contact, and her effort went wide.

Five minutes before the break, Kyra Carusa went close once again. A long ball from Jereko sent Kyra through one-on-one with the PSV goalkeeper, but the visitors’ keeper made the save to deny another huge HB Køge Women opportunity.

PSV created very little in the first half, and with a little more clinical finishing, the Swans could easily have gone into the break with the lead.

The breakthrough did, however, arrive almost immediately after the restart. Just one minute into the second half, Mille Gejl picked up the ball and drove towards goal. The captain beautifully lifted the ball through PSV’s defensive line into the path of Cassandra Korhonen. Cassandra got there first and calmly finished with her left foot past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate.

A few minutes later, PSV created their first major opportunity of the match, but the effort went wide of Alberte Vingum’s goal.

After just over 55 minutes, the Swans had the ball in the net again. Mille Gejl’s corner found Nadia Nadim completely unmarked, and she headed the ball home. Celebrations erupted around Køge Idrætspark, but the goal was subsequently ruled out for offside, with Cassandra Korhonen judged to have obstructed the goalkeeper’s view. The score therefore remained 1-0.

Just over an hour into the match, PSV brought the tension back into the tie with an equaliser. An effort from inside the penalty area initially appeared to be under control by Alberte Vingum, but the ball slipped through and rolled into the net.

That made it 1-1 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate, meaning the visitors needed just one more goal to send the tie into extra time.

The Swans held firm for the remainder of the match, and when the final whistle sounded, the celebrations could finally begin. The match ended 1-1, and with a 2-1 aggregate victory over PSV Eindhoven, HB Køge Women are through to the UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase for the second time in the club’s history.

The draw for the league phase will take place on Friday, September 4 at 12:00 CET on UEFA.com.

Watch the highlights here

HB Køge Women 1-1 PSV Eindhoven
1-0 Cassandra Korhonen (46')
1-1 Liz Rijsbergen (63')

HB Køge Women Starting XI
1. Alberte Vingum
2. Maria Uhre
3. Macy Schultz
7. Kyra Carusa
9. Nadia Nadim
11. Cassandra Korhonen
17. Rikke Marie Madsen
23. Mille Gejl
28. Simone Boye
32. Emma Flick
33. Jereko

HB Køge Women Substitutions
Emelia Oskarsdottir for Kyra Carusa (74')
Catherine Paulson for Rikke Marie Madsen (74')

HB Køge Women 1-1 PSV Eindhoven
UEFA Women’s Champions League, Third Qualifying Round – Second Leg
Wednesday, September 2, 7:00 PM
Køge Idrætspark – Attendance: 1,195