Millie Bright on renewing Wolfsburg rivalry and ‘incredible’ Hannah Hampton | News | Official Site
Millie Bright expects a tough challenge against longstanding Women’s Champions League rivals Wolfsburg this evening – and the Blues skipper has also paid tribute to team-mate Hannah Hampton after the Chelsea goalkeeper scooped another individual award.
The Blues have travelled to Germany knowing victory will guarantee a place in the knockout stage of the competition. But defeating Wolfsburg on home soil will be no easy feat.
Our most recent meeting, which took place in December 2021, saw the Blues beaten 4-0. However, much has changed since then and Bright is positive we can get the job done.
‘We’re motivated to win every single game and beat every single opponent,’ explained the Chelsea captain. ‘We’ve faced Wolfsburg many times over the years. It’s a very difficult place to come and a hard team to play against, but it is the Champions League.
‘You have to play against the best teams, and every game is a tough game. There are no easy games in this campaign. I think we just need to stay focused on our game plan, execute it, get the three points, and come away with a good performance.
‘We’ve built quite a rivalry with Wolfsburg, which is nice as I think that’s a big part of football. It’s important to have those. It’s exciting for the fans, and it’s extra competitive when you’re out there. We’ve got two top teams coming up against each other to get that top four place. It’s a big game, a big opponent, but it’s one that we’re ready for.’
This season is the first that the Women’s Champions League follows a league phase format. It means Chelsea will have faced six different opponents instead of playing three sides home and away, as was the case under the old group stage format.
All nine of the final league phase matches kick off at 8pm (UK time) tonight. There are four automatic knockout stage places up for grabs, while teams from fifth to twelfth position in the table entered into a two-legged knockout stage playoff game.
Bright has welcomed the changes to the Champions League, which she feels bring an extra dimension to the European competition.
‘The new format has been exciting,’ she continued. ‘I really like it. I think it brings an extra level of competitiveness. You see a lot more teams, and there’s a lot more variety.
‘You get to face more players, different opponents, challenges and styles of football. I think it brings the best out of all the teams, and it brings a lot more competition to the campaign.’
Before the Blues touched down in Germany on Thursday, Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton added The FIFA Best Women’s Goalkeeper honour to the lengthy list of individual accolades she has collected in 2025.
Following up our domestic Treble win last season by playing a key role in England’s win at Women’s Euro 2025, Hampton became the first-ever women’s goalkeeper to win the Yashin Award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in September. Following the stopper’s latest accolade, her captain was keen to give praise for those achievements.
‘Hannah is doing incredibly well.’ said Bright. ‘This year she’s absolutely cleaned up with the personal trophies and rightly so – she’s been incredible.
‘It’s a credit to her and all the hard work that’s just put in. I think she’s been on a real journey personally, and I’ve seen her go through those moments and really develop and put in the work, which is not easy.
‘Not everyone gets to see that behind closed doors, but I’ve known Hannah for quite a while and seeing her develop on and off the pitch has been so special. She really does deserve it.
‘She knows all her team-mates are really proud of her, and we’re extremely lucky to have her at Chelsea. She’s been incredible; may that continue for many, many years.’
