Chelsea held on to beat Actual Madrid and prolong their unbeaten house run within the Ladies’s Champions League group stage to 10 matches.
Targets from Sjoeke Nüsken, Guro Reiten and Mayra Ramírez continued the Blues’ excellent begin to the season beneath their new supervisor, Sonia Bompastor, however the two targets conceded hinted at a defensive fragility.
“We scored the targets, however the gamers weren’t working as arduous as I needed them to work on the pitch,” mentioned Bompastor. “We have been simply strolling to get the ball, which isn’t adequate. If you wish to possess the ball, you must run so much.”
There was a interval of confusion earlier than kick-off, with the Liquidator enjoying on loop and the groups stood within the tunnel with no signal of them popping out. When the gamers did emerge, kick-off delayed for six minutes, the trigger was evident, with Zecira Musovic hurriedly pulling on gloves and Hannah Hampton, who was named within the beginning XI, nowhere to be seen. “Hannah simply felt unwell, simply earlier than she went out. She feels higher now,” defined Bompastor. “However we’ve two actually good goalkeepers and Z [Zecira Musovic] was prepared. Z had efficiency; she was feeling good.”
When it comes to who could have crammed in, with no goalkeeper on the bench, the supervisor mentioned: “I used to be fascinated with that, we spoke about that. We have been ready in case. I’m not going to say who”.
Whereas Chelsea are accustomed to Actual – it’s the third time they’ve met within the group stage – it was the primary time Bompastor and her employees had confronted the Spanish facet. The supervisor had warned of their rising risk earlier than the sport. “They’re one of the crucial aggressive groups within the Spanish league,” she mentioned. “They like to possess the ball. It will likely be a tricky recreation, and we’re prepared for that.”
The match would open up for the house crew so much faster than she possible anticipated, the Blues taking the lead inside three minutes. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s ball in from the best was headed goalward by Nüsken and took a deflection off Sheila García on its method in. It was a dream begin to their Champions League marketing campaign and the gamers in orange regarded totally deflated. Actual regrouped although and created possibilities. Athenea del Castillo and Caroline Weir prompted issues, however one other error made the mountain they have been climbing within the torrential rain that bit greater.
Maëlle Lakrar’s excessive foot into Lucy Bronze led the referee to level to the spot – the incident coming seconds after María Méndez went in equally excessive on Nüsken. Reiten coolly transformed the penalty low into the nook to double Chelsea’s lead.
It was not plain crusing for the house crew although, and their defence can be uncovered shortly earlier than the break. Nathalie Björn didn’t clear a cross from the left and Sandy Baltimore blocked the ensuing shot, however the ball fell kindly for Alba Redondo who fired previous Musovic.
Bompastor’s facet would restore their two-goal lead shortly after the break although, Lauren James’s completely weighted cross headed in by Ramírez from shut vary.
Alberto Toril, Actual’s supervisor, mentioned: “I really feel like we’ve left picture of ourselves right here. We’re getting nearer and nearer, and that is the closest we’ve received in a gathering between the 2 sides.”
Nevertheless, Actual struggled to say their authority and regarded out of concepts, and Chelsea have been glad to sluggish issues down and maintain on to the ball as their opponents laboured. A uncommon break within the 71st minute confirmed promise, with the substitute Linda Caicedo racing away on the break with Castillo to her left, however Ashley Lawrence was in a position to get again and block her shot.
Caicedo closed the hole for the visiting crew with seven minutes to go, when Bronze’s backheel off the road went solely so far as the 19-year-old Colombian ahead who fired in.
Regardless of the 2 targets conceded, it was comfy for the house crew on the pitch. The small crowd condensed into the stand reverse the dugout was one of many two massive speaking factors, with the group stage nonetheless not attracting an enormous turnout beneath the lights at Stamford Bridge regardless of the weighty identify of the opposition.
The opposite speaking level? Chelsea’s defensive fragility which, regardless of the scorelines, has been on show of their 1-0 win over Aston Villa, their 7-0 defeat of Crystal Palace and right here towards Actual. A greater crew may trigger issues and up subsequent they play Arsenal within the league, a crew who’ve struggled to interrupt down opponents that play in a low block however may actually take a look at the Chelsea again line in a extra open recreation.
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