Chelsea got off to a winning start in their Women's Champions League campaign with victory over Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge.
Sonia Bompastor's side were in front within two minutes as Sjoeke Nusken's header took a heavy deflection off Sheila Garcia and bounced over the line.
The Blues doubled their lead within half an hour when Guro Reiten struck a perfectly-placed penalty past goalkeeper Misa after Nusken was clipped in the box.
That threatened to kill the game early on but Real Madrid fought back, pouncing on Chelsea's sloppy defending as Alba Redondo fired the ball past Zecira Musovic, called in as a replacement for goalkeeper Hannah Hampton minutes before kick-off.
Chelsea, semi-finalists in the competition in the past two seasons, regained control with Mayra Ramirez's looped header making it 3-1 just after half-time - but Real again came back as substitute Linda Caicedo fumbled in a second goal for the visitors.
It made for an anxious ending at Stamford Bridge despite Chelsea having been comfortable for most of the encounter but victory puts them second in Group B, level on three points with FC Twente who beat Celtic 2-0 in Tuesday's other fixture.
It is no secret that this is the competition Chelsea are desperate to win.
Bompastor was recruited as Emma Hayes' replacement in part due to her success in the competition, having won it three times as a player and a manager.
Expectations were high for their opening group match as a result.
Chelsea had issues in the build-up as their Women's Super League match against Manchester United was postponed on the weekend meaning they had 10 days without a game, something Bompastor said affected their preparation.
Hampton's withdrawal through illness minutes before kick-off also caused disruption. The England goalkeeper was scheduled to start the match and warmed up as normal, but did not reappear when the teams lined up for the Champions League anthem.
Her replacement - experienced Sweden international Musovic - was tested on a few occasions and she had to make a smart save to deny Redondo before the Spain forward eventually got the better of her when a failed clearance ricocheted kindly in the Chelsea box.
Redondo was Real's biggest threat and she left manager Alberto Toril with his head in his hands when she flicked a corner delivery inches past Musovic's far post in the second half.
But Chelsea's quick start put them in good stead and despite Real's persistence, the Blues did just about enough to wrap up the victory.
It was not the display that announced their intentions on the European stage but there is a long way to go in the competition and Chelsea are at least winning when they are not playing to their full potential.
Source: BBC
Source: 1010 HRS, OCT 09, 2024
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