Chelsea won 4-1 on aggregate against Ajax after a 3-0 first-leg victory in Amsterdam.
Chelsea reached the Women’s Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday despite drawing 1-1 at home to Ajax, while Lyon also progressed after brushing aside Benfica in France.
Mayra Ramirez gave Chelsea a first-half lead on her European club debut before Chasity Grant equalized for Ajax in the second half.
Chelsea won 4-1 on aggregate after a 3-0 first-leg victory in Amsterdam.
“Ajax did very well, they came out as we hoped,” said Chelsea midfielder Erin Cuthbert.
“Small margins in football, we could have put a little more distance, given ourselves a little more room to maneuver, but the work was really done in the first leg.”
Ajax almost took the lead in the first 20 minutes when goalkeeper Zecira Musovic saw her clearance taken by Tiny Hoekstra, but the ball rolled against the post and went agonizingly wide.
Just after the half-hour mark, Ramirez opened his Champions League account with a calm finish after being released by Guro Reiten.
Now four goals ahead, Emma Hayes’ team looked set to advance to the semi-finals.
Grant put a damper on Chelsea’s evening when she raced towards Hoekstra’s through ball and her slightly scuffed finish found its way past Musovic.
With the same scoreline that night, Chelsea’s overall lead was insurmountable for Ajax, although Musovic redeemed herself in the final 10 minutes when she made some excellent fingertip saves to deny Romee Leuchter then Danique Tolhoek.
Four for Lyon
Earlier, braces from Delphine Cascarino and Kadidiatou Diani gave eight-time title holders Lyon a 4-1 win at Groupama Stadium to earn a 6-2 aggregate draw.
Marie-Yasmine Alidou equalized minutes after Cascarino’s opener late in the first half, but the 27-year-old scored a second shortly after half-time before two goals from Diani in added time only give Lyon a comfortable victory.
“There was something to be happy about,” Lyon coach Sonia Bompastor told club channel OLPLAY.
“The comeback at half-time was magnificent and hurt the Portuguese mentally, but we had to be more clinical in the first half.”
Lyon created several good chances early on, but failed to find a way past Lena Pauels in the Benfica goal until the 43rd minute.
Cascarino gave Lyon a two-goal buffer in total when Eugénie Le Sommer chased down a back pass, won her challenge with Pauels and then had the presence of mind to return the ball to the French international, who duly finished with a delicious chip over. the goalkeeper blocked and two defenders retreating.
But Benfica hit back instantly to reduce the deficit to a goal when Alidou bundled in Lucia Alves’ cross, following a sublime defensive pass from Kika Nazareth.
Lyon made two changes at half-time, and the decision paid off quickly when Cascarino doubled with a fine individual effort six minutes into the second half.
Collecting the ball in midfield, she rushed forward before unleashing a powerful shot from outside the box.
A minute into added time, Diani saved Lindsey Horan’s knockdown in the box to cement Lyon’s place in the semi-finals.
The margin of victory then became even greater five minutes later when Diani miscontrolled the ball and Catarina Amado’s clearance actually deflected off the French striker and into the net.
