Chelsea begin their 2020/2021 UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign this afternoon when they take on Benfica in Lisbon in the first leg of their round of 32 tie.
The Blues begin their latest European adventure with last season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League Forward of the Season on their books in Danish attacker Pernille Harder.
The 28-year-old netted nine goals for former club VfL Wolfsburg last season as the German side reached the UEFA Women’s Champions League final. The She-Wolves went down 3-1 to reigning champions Lyon in the final in Spain as Harder captained her side for the final time prior to her departure.
The player is yet to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League and ahead of the start of her latest trophy bid with Chelsea, we take a look back at three Harder masterclasses from previous years.
VfL Wolfsburg 2 Lyon 4 – 27 March 2019
VfL Wolfsburg exited the 2018/2019 UEFA Women’s Champions League with a fourth consecutive aggregate defeat to Lyon but they remained in the tie until the final half-hour thanks largely to the heroic efforts of forward Harder.
Leading 2-1 from the first leg in France, first half goals in Germany from Dzsenifer Marozsan and Wendie Renard handed Lyon a three-goal advantage with just 45 minutes of the quarter-final tie left to play.
The Germans were not done though and brought the scoreline back to 2-2 on the day with a quick-fire double from inspired forward Harder. The Dane netted her first goal by scrambling the ball home after the visitors failed to clear a corner kick before she took advantage of teammate Caroline Graham Hansen’s pass to net her second to level the scoreline.
It was a performance of guts and determination by Harder but sadly she was to end the match on the losing side with Lyon running out 6-3 winners on aggregate.
Mitrovica 0 VfL Wolfsburg 10 – 11 September 2019
VfL Wolfsburg got their 2019/2020 UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign off to a flying start with a 10-0 demolition of tournament minnows Mitrovica in Kosovo.
Forward Pernille Harder netted a hat-trick while there were also braces for Noelle Maritz, and Claudia Neto along with goals for Ewa Pajor, Svenja Huth and Kristine Minde.
The German side were 3-0 up before hat-trick hero Harder finally got her name on the scoresheet in the first minute of the second half. She then expertly converted a penalty kick two minutes later before completing her treble within a 19-minute spell. With the job done and the match ball collected, Harder was brought off after 77 minutes as her side secured a 10-0 first leg victory.
The forward also netted one goal in the second leg a fortnight later.
Glasgow City 1 VfL Wolfsburg 9 – 21 August 2020
It is fair to say that the world’s very best players are the ones that show their class on the biggest stage. In the case of VfL Wolfsburg forward Harder, she dazzled as her side claimed a UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final appearance by defeating Glasgow City 9-1.
Harder was by far the best player on the park, scoring four goals as the 2013 and 2014 tournament winners demolished a brave Glasgow City outfit.
The Danish international netted two of VfL Wolfsburg’s four first half goals as they ran riot against Scott Booth’s side before completing her quadruple with two more goals in 26 second half minutes.
Those four goals put the player in the running for the 2019/2020 UEFA Women’s Champions League’s golden boot, although she eventually finished in joint-fourth position in the goal rankings.
Harder’s first UEFA Women’s Champions League appearance for new club Chelsea could come against Benfica in Lisbon this afternoon. The hosts are tournament debutants and will hope to avoid becoming the latest side to feel the full force of the Dane.
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