Chelsea were less than convincing as they claimed a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid to open their 2024/25 UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign with three points.
An early blunder from the visitors’ defence allowed Sjoeke Nüsken to open the scoring inside two minutes, with their lead doubled through a questionable penalty just before the half-hour mark.
Real Madrid fought back and halved the deficit through Alba Redondo, and while Mayra Ramírez’s looping effort over Misa Rodríguez in the early stages of the second half looked to give the Blues some breathing room, Linda Caicedo once again reduced the deficit to a single goal.
As it happened
Chelsea wasted no time in seizing the lead at Stamford Bridge, opening the scoring inside the first two minutes following a cross in from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd on the right flank.
With the ball delivered towards Sjoeke Nüsken in the centre of the box, Sheila García looked to nod past her own goalkeeper and the opener was initially recorded as an own goal – though this was changed retrospectively, with Nüsken found to have turned the ball towards goal first.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe opening stages provided opportunities for the visitors to restore parity, with María Méndez coming closest as she turned a corner over the crossbar shortly before Athenea del Castillo was sent through on goal by a well-placed through ball. Zećira Mušović beat her there, though, having been called into the starting lineup at short notice after Hannah Hampton withdrew during the warmups.
Sonia Bompastor’s side would, perhaps against the run of play, double their lead in fortuitous circumstances just before the half-hour mark. The referee had taken quite a while to opt to award a penalty after Nüsken was swung at inside the box, with the resulting spot-kick expertly despatched by Guro Reiten into the bottom corner.
But Real Madrid did not falter, striving to halve the deficit and forcing Mušović to work as Alba Redondo directed an effort goalwards with thirty minutes played before las Blancas finally found the back of the net five minutes before the break.
Olga Carmona’s cross fell perfectly for del Castillo, though the Spain international couldn’t get a shot off and García saw her attempt blocked too. Redondo arrived inside the box to smash home a powerful effort though, making amends for her prior miss to put Alberto Toril’s side back in contention.
Embed from Getty ImagesChelsea fought back in the second half though, restoring their two-goal advantage in style with just eight minutes played since the break. Lauren James’ accurate cross found the head of Mayra Ramírez, with the Colombian able to direct a looping header over Misa Rodríguez from just six yards out.
Yet they were matched blow-for-blow by Real Madrid, with the prodigious Linda Caicedo once again clawing las Blancas back into the fray with a poked effort at the back post inside the final ten minutes after a cross from the right sparked chaos along the goal line.
Tuesday’s victory in SW6 may well have seen Chelsea secure three points to kickstart their 2024/25 UEFA Women’s Champions League, but the contest was a much closer affair than Sonia Bompastor would have hoped for. The former French international spoke pre-match about not underestimating Real Madrid, but nonetheless Chelsea looked far from their best.
Her side now turn their attention to Saturday’s Barclays Women’s Super League meeting with Arsenal at Emirates Stadium, before returning to UWCL action with a trip to face FC Twente next week.
As for Real Madrid, they’ll host Atletico Madrid in a fierce local derby on Sunday evening before welcoming Celtic to the Spanish capital on Thursday.
The lineups
CHE: Mušović; Baltimore, Björn, Bright, Bronze; James, Nüsken, Kaptein; Reiten, Ramírez, Rytting Kaneryd
RMA: Misa; Carmona, Méndez, Lakrar, García; Leupolz, Angeldahl, Teresa; Redondo, Weir, del Castillo
