Bompastor’s Chelsea muddy Las Blancas to announce Champions League charge | OneFootball

Chelsea mounted a new European title push tonight, running out victors over Real Madrid with a 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge.

The Champions League is the one trophy Emma Hayes never managed to win in over a decade at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues are now well on their way to breaking their European duck.

The match began in the worst possible fashion for Real Madrid, whose dismal away Champions League form was emphasized by way of a second minute own goal.

A mazy Johanna Rytting Kaneryd dribble led to a floated cross into the box, which got just beyond the head of Sjoeke Nusken and deflected off Sheila Garcia before rather pathetically rolling into the visitors’ goal as the ‘keeper watched on helplessly.

Starting their European campaign in the worst possible way, Las Blancas were faced with a mountain to climb, but they did not allow the siege mentality to set in.

There were no obvious signs of panic or despair – after all, there was plenty of time left on the clock – but the visitors seemed to quickly run out of ideas, a lack of energy perhaps brought on by a long day of travel, delayed kickoff, or persistent heavy rain.

Any early forays forward were sharply subdued by Lucy Bronze and Sandy Baltimore, with Zecira Musovic also coming out for a handful of claims after being called into the starting lineup at the eleventh hour.

Misery compounded for the guests before half an hour had been played, as a pair of high boot offences during an 18-yard-box melee saw Chelsea awarded a penalty, which was promptly fired beyond Spanish goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez.

The tone, though, was anything but set. While Chelsea looked more confident than ever on the ball, Madrid kept pushing, pulling one back five minutes before half time through Alba Redondo to halve the deficit.

Starting the second half, it was the hosts who looked more intent on sewing up the result, and they did not take their time enacting that intention. Mayra Ramirez added a third for the Blues less than ten minutes into the half. Her header from Lauren James’ free kick rose seemingly in slow motion, sneaking under the crossbar and inches beyond Misa’s outstretched glove.

She came close to scoring again in identical fashion shortly after, though the header was slightly wayward the second time around.

While substitutions threatened to shake up the order, Chelsea sat pretty in the driver’s seat, remaining unperturbed as Madrid added Linda Caicedo into the mix.

Caicedo would pull one back for Las Blancas, tapping home from close range after a goalline scuffle, though her contribution would not be enough to sway the result.

On an evening where Chelsea went unchallenged for long stretches, a strong team performance was exactly the antidote required to get the result over the line. Wieke Kaptein again proved her nascent quality, dictating play from midfield, while the stalwart Millie Bright similarly impressed.

For Madrid, the same could not be said. Big names went missing as Olga failed to affect play, allowing her opposite number to take the plaudits.

The mood in the Madrid camp was summed up well by manager Alberto Toril, who spent much of the ninety minutes stalking his technical area and remonstrating with his staff, his body language in stark contrast to the serene presence of Sonia Bompastor in the home dugout.

Lineups

CFC: Hampton, Bronze, Bright (C), Bjorn, Baltimore, Kaptein, Nusken, James, Reiten, Ramirez, Rytting Kaneryd

RMD: Misa, Garcia, Lakrar, Mendez, Olga (C), Leupolz, Angeldal, Teresa, Athenea, Weir, Redondo

Featured image credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images via One Football