A 3-2 defeat of Real Madrid ensured Chelsea cruised to a 10th unbeaten home group game, as they began their first campaign under new manager Sonia Bompastor at Stamford Bridge.
Goals from Sjoeke Nüsken, Guro Reiten and Mayra Ramirez continued the Blues’ perfect start to the season, the only blemish the two goals conceded, hinting at a defensive fragility.
There was a period of confusion before kick-off, with the Liquidator playing on loop and the teams stood in the tunnel with no sign of them coming out. When the players did emerge, kick-off delayed for six minutes, the cause was evident, with Zecira Musovic hurriedly pulling on gloves and goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, who was named in the starting XI, nowhere to be seen.
Bompastor had made three changes to the team that beat Crystal Palace 10 days prior, before Hampton’s late withdrawal. Sandy Baltimore, Mayra Ramírez and Wieke Kaptein were all handed starts, and Ashley Lawerence and Aggie Beever-Jones were named on the bench with Erin Cuthbert not included in the squad, believed to be a victim of the sickness bug that had struck the Chelsea camp.
For Alberto Toril, there were six fresh names on the teamsheet following Friday night’s 1-0 defeat of Valencia, with Misa Rodríguez, Teresa Abelleira, Sheila García, Alba Redondo, Filippa Angeldal and Maëlle Lakrar all included. Meanwhile, midfielder Melanie Leupolz was handed a start against the team she left in the summer.
While Chelsea are familiar with Real, it was the first time Bompastor and her incoming staff had faced the Spanish side. The manager had warned of their growing threat ahead of the game. “They are one of the most competitive teams in the Spanish league,” she said. “They love to possess the ball. It will be a tough game, and we are ready for that.”
The match would open up for the home team a lot quicker than Bompastor likely expected, the Blues taking the lead within three minutes – Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd’s ball in from the right headed goalward by Sjoeke Nüsken and it took a deflection off García on its way in. It was a dream start to their Champions League campaign and the players in orange looked utterly deflated. Real regrouped though and did create chances. Athenea del Castillo and Caroline Weir caused problems, but it would be another error that would make the mountain they were climbing in the torrential rain that bit bigger.
Lakrar’s high foot into Lucy Bronze saw the referee immediately point to the spot – the incident coming seconds after María Méndez went in similarly high on Nüsken.
Guro Reiten coolly converted the resulting penalty low into the corner to double Chelsea’s lead.
It wasn’t plain sailing for the home team though, and their defensive fragility would be exposed shortly before the break. Nathalie Björn failed to clear a cross from the left and Sandy Baltimore blocked the resulting shot, but the ball fell kindly for Redondo who fired past Musovic.
Bompastor’s side would restore their two-goal lead shortly after the break though, Lauren James’s perfectly weighted cross looped in by Ramírez from close range, the manager pumping her fist in delight as it went in.
Toril had said he wanted his team “to show character and competitiveness”, adding “we have the ability to play a good game here and get a positive result.” However, Real struggled to assert their authority on the game and looked out of ideas. Meanwhile, Chelsea were happy to slow things down and hold onto the ball as their opponents laboured. A rare break in the 71st minute showed promise, with substitute Linda Caicedo racing away on the break with Castillo to her left, but Ashley Lawrence was able to get back and block her shot.
Caicedo would close the gap for the visiting team with seven minutes of normal time remaining, Bronze’s backheel off the line cleared only as far as the 19-year-old Colombian forward who fired in.
Despite the two goals conceded, it was comfortable for the home team on the pitch. The small crowd condensed into the stand opposite the dugout was perhaps one of the two big talking points, with the group stage still not attracting a turnout under the lights at Stamford Bridge despite the weighty name of the opposition.
The other talking point? Chelsea’s defensive fragility which, despite the scorelines, had been on display in their 1-0 win over Aston Villa and their 7-0 defeat of Crystal Palace. A better team could cause problems and up next they play Arsenal in the league, a team which has struggled to break down teams that play in a low block but could really test the Chelsea back line in a more open game.