Here’s Suzanne Wrack’s report.
The socials are in and Real Madrid seem the far happier.
A point on the road in the @UWCL! 💪#UWCL pic.twitter.com/aZZaAqOXjk
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) December 8, 2022
⚙️ ¡Tremendo trabajo, EQUIPO! ⚙️#UWCL pic.twitter.com/KPgZks7pou
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadridfem) December 8, 2022
Full-time: Real Madrid 1-1 Chelsea
A fair result from another tight game between the pair. Chelsea’s winning run comes to an end, though they came back well to come back from the goal that set up Caroline Weir’s goal. Then, the Madrid goalkeeper Misa was so unlucky when the ball from Reiten’s penalty came off her and went back in. Chelsea stay top of Group A on 10 points while Madrid are third but only two points behind PSG, who they play next. Next up for Chelsea is Vllaznia, against whom they will surely book their place.
90+2 min: A worry for Chelsea as del Castillo cuts in from the right but Bright steps forward to clear the ball.
90+1 min: Three minutes are added on…and from a corner, Sam Kerr’s header is blocked by teammate Sophie Ingle.
89 min: Sam Kerr’s chance arrives. Reiten plays it through, and Kerr is in, hits the ball with venom and Misa makes a fine, fine save. Pure instinct from her. She was unlucky with the penalty.
88 min: Are they settling for the draw? A lull in play suggests they might well be doing so. Feels like a lapse in concentration could be what decides this.
86 min: This is the witching hour, and a goal could put Chelsea through. And it would mean Madrid have more to work with against PSG.
84 min: Sam Kerr again misses the mark, as Sophie Ingle dinks the ball through, and it loops over the Aussie great’s head. Fran Kirby is buzzing around dangerously, too.
82 min: Weir zips in a shot from long range, her range, but this time it’s over the bar.
80 min: Berger to the rescue! Carmona again finds space, and runs on to pass but can’t beat Berger one on one. Fine play from the goalie, making amends for his mistake for the goal.
79 min: Sam Kerr is flagged offside, and it was close. It’s been a frustrating night for her, this one. Olga Carmona, up from left back, runs on and shoots from the flank. That won’t trouble Berger.
Updated
77 min: Chelsea sub: off goes Lauren James, on comes Johanna Kaneryd.
76 min: Fran Kirby is clattered as she looks for space on the edge of the box. It’s been an evening of good defending.
74 min: Madrid change: Zornoza off, and Oroz will come on to add a bit of flair.
73 min: Chance begging for Chelsea as Reiten spins the ball in. Where was Sam Kerr? She seems to have misread the flight of the ball.
72 min: Chelsea have chance to launch a throw but pass the ball around. They need a win here to make their way to the knockouts. Jess Carter has to run back and clear some danger.
71 min: Real Madrid attack in number but a poor cross gives Berger the chance to clear the ball. They are lacking a focal point up front, and it’s been a game where the defenders are dominant.
70 min: The ball being launched front and back by both teams, Madrid looking solid, though Misa their goalie has to run forward to smash the ball out of play.
68 min: This could be a decent last 20 minutes or so, and we are still yet to see Sam Kerr have a proper look at goal in this half. Madrid do seem to have recovered some of their composure, and their pressing.
66 min: A Chelsea winner seems the more likely outcome at the moment. Jess Carter enters the book for Chelsea, as has Lauren James, when the latter couldn’t get out of the way of a Del Castillo piece of skill.
62 min: Madrid sub: off goes Gonzales, on comes Sofie Svava.
61 min: Another Chelsea chance, Charles runs on to the byline, and James whacks wide.
60 min: Quite the lifeline for Chelsea, and it came just as they stepped it up, having ridden out a real firestorm from Real Madrid.
Goal! Real Madrid 1-1 Chelsea (Misa own-goal, 59)
It’s in, just. The ball coming back off the post and back into Misa and back. The penalty that turned to an own-goal is a rarity.
Updated
Penalty to Chelsea!
The ball from Ingle finds Reiten and Andres comes across and is too slow. Boos all round but that’s a stick-on. Reiten herself will take it.
Updated
56 min: Chelsea at last have the ball in the Real Madrid half.
54 min: Gonzales is blocked by Millie Bright, and it’s all Madrid at the moment with Weir almost getting on the end of the ball.
52 min: Lauren James has to scuttle back, and that’s been the story of the half so far for Chelsea. Real Madrid have been excellent since the break. Niamh Charles has to run back to stop Niamh Charles.
50 min: Madrid are being roared on by some of their fans making a hell of a racket with their drums, and one lad on the loudhaler. Their teams are not sitting back to protect their lead and have forced a couple of corners.
48 min: Chelsea get an early free-kick. Reiten booms it in, and though the ball falls to Sam Kerr, it’s hoofed away with some comfort.
46 min: Back away we go at the Alfredo di Stefano, and Chelsea’s changes look attacking. Emma Hayes wants to get this one won and the group stage taken off the priority list.
Two Chelsea changes, Niamh Charles in for Eriksson, Fran Kirby in for Fleming.
Half-time: Real Madrid 1-0 Chelsea
It was very tight and then Ann-Katrin Berger dropped a clanger, one that was seized on in typical style by Caroline Weir, so calm in finishing. And it feels like Chelsea have a lot to find in the second half. Even if they did twice hit the woodwork, they have been well under par.
45 min: Lauren James cuts in, on a ball from Carter, and it’s well saved. Two minutes are added on to the half, in which Madrid are pinned back.
Updated
44 min: Lauren James is penalised for a high foot, frowned upon in continental football. The free-kick is cleared by Sophie Ingle and Caroline Weir is crowded out by Buchanan in the corner.
42 min: Eriksson must be on sudden death for yellow cards as she wallops into another heavy challenge. Not booked just yet. And then another, on Del Castillo, with whom there is a running battle taking place.
41 min: Berger holds on grimly on to a corner that was arrowing at her, and into the goal. Chelsea look rattled, the goal came just as they began to look more comfortable.
40 min: Real Madrid want more, and Weir looks to be the player that can do it. For now, she’s stopped by Millie Bright.
37 min: Emma Hayes was not amused by that. Might Berger have been affected by her earlier knock? Weir was the wrong player for the ball to fall to.
Goal! Real Madrid 1-0 Chelsea (Weir, 36)
Berger plays the ball out, and it lands right at the feet of Caroline Weir, who strokes home, so calmly. A gift for her, and the first goal Chelsea have conceded in this competition this season.
Updated
35 min: Jess Carter is not happy when her overlap is given little support. Madrid are really holding their shape here.
34 min: The ball is back with Chelsea, who are slowly gaining control of the match…though a loose pass finds Toletti, who shoots straight at Berger.
32 min: That’s Chelsea for you, they have played well below their best but could have been two up, such is their ability to create chances.
31 min: Madrid haven’t actually created too much, either, as it stands. It’s been a game concertinaed in the midfield. Caroline Weir tries off some of her magic but is tackled by Millie Bright, but here’s Sam Kerr, at last, involved and through on goal, only to hit the post! Ooh, that was a fine pass by Lauren James.
29 min: Sam Kerr has done plenty of running but received very little of the ball. This has been a grind of a game for them.
27 min: Berger resumes, and smiles, she looked to have caught something in the turf. But will be OK for the moment.
26 min: Chelsea just aren’t at it, for the moment and their goalie, Berger, is hurt, feeling something from that Carmona shot. Has she pulled something in throwing herself at the ball?
24 min: Long-range effort skids past Berger’s post, Olga Carmona stepping forward from left-back to smash one in. Real building up their confidence.
23 min: Madrid play the ball out calmly, just when the Chelsea forwards were chasing down hard. Emma Hayes has not been impressed so far. Eriksson gives Del Castillo one back but doesn’t get booked.
21 min: Eriksson is down after being fouled by del Castillo, and it was a nasty one. The Madrid forward is deservedly booked.
19 min: This is a tight game, just like the first meeting. Signs of Chelsea frustration, too. The referee is keeping a hold, too, as would be expected of such a distinguished official.
Updated
16 min: Madrid are pinning Chelsea back with some typical pressing. And a decent offside trap, though Reiten is aghast at being called off. She probably wasn’t.
14 min: Lauren James is roving all over the show looking for space. For the moment, Madrid have held firm.
12 min: After that shaky start, Madrid have been quite decent. Chelsea will not have it all their own way like they did against Leicester.
10 min: Sam Kerr speeds on to a Lauren James pass, and then aims across goal..but it’s ruled offside. Madrid go on the attack and Weir, so skilful, is tackled. That gives the home team a set-piece chance but Bright heads away and Chelsea go back on the attack. They were a little scrappy there.
8 min: Eriksson, the captain for Chelsea, gets back to sweep up any danger. Then Sam Kerr takes a tumble but no dramas, she gets up to take the free-kick.
6 min: Chelsea pushing on, and this has been quite an open game compared to the previous match between the two.
4 min: Real Madrid try to do the Spanish thing, and play the ball around at the back. Lauren James scuttles back to sweep up and Chelsea can back on the attack. Caroline Weir, the Scottish former Liverpool player, lines up in midfield for Madrid.
2 min: A frightful scramble, Erin Cuthbert gets in there and then Sam Kerr wellies the ball as hard as possible and cracks the crossbar. So close to an early goal.
1 min: And away we go in the Spanish capital, where Chelsea force an early corner. Millie Bright is the target and Real Madrid only just snaffle the ball behind. Another corner is soon forced.
The Uefa anthem rings out. Here are our officials, all from Ukraine, the referee officiated in the Euro 2022 final.
Referee: Kateryna Monzul UKR
Assistant referees, Maryna Striletska UKR, Svitlana Grushko UKR
Fourth official: Anastasiya Romanyuk UKR
We’re at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium, which you may recognise from the men’s Champions League when the Santiago Bernabeu was being renovated. It’s a rainy night in Madrid.
Via Uefa.com: “Real Madrid start with Feller in attack and captain Ivana Andrés at right-back. [Their coach] has placed the Spanish centre-back on the right wing to give more solidity to his defence.
In the other game in this group tonight, Paris beat Vllaznia 4-0, meaning Real’s visit to Paris looks crucial in who will make the knockouts alongside Chelsea should the Londoners win.
This week’s Moving the Goalposts mailout featured the Roma Women’s team.
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Emma Hayes spoke at a news conference ahead of this game.
The Champions League is the goal every year. What’s different is that we’re now in a position to qualify. Our objectives are always to win every trophy we compete for. But we need to focus on our experience and what we’ve done in the competition. We weren’t this time last year.
Our objectives are always to win every trophy we compete for and this year is no different. We had a tough draw, this is a really tough group, so for us just to win is the aim and put ourselves in the best position possible.
We saw the way Real Madrid knocked (Manchester) City out in the earlier rounds. They’re a team that prove much different to English teams, with Spanish teams there’s a lot of differences. I think as a team the patience in possession and ability to threaten, especially in wide spaces, I know is part of their (Real Madrid’s) strength but for us we need to focus on our experience, what we’ve done in European competition.
That is a massive pitch out there and in order to get a result we need to keep the ball very well because they do, so we absolutely have to on Thursday.
Chelsea can follow in the footsteps of Arsenal last night in the Champions League.
The Women’s Super League and Netherlands record goalscorer’s contribution ensured Arsenal remained top of Group C, three points ahead of Lyon, who beat FC Zürich 4-0, and five points clear of Juventus.
Here’s how they went last time out:
The first goal was swiftly followed by the second and it was also Cuthbert’s second screamer in two games. Her cross-cum-shot flew into the net from the right to give her team a two-goal cushion.
“That’s a secret,” Cuthbert said of whether she meant it. “I meant to fire it across the goal and see what happens. It was lucky it came off my boot quite nicely and went over the keeper’s head and in.”
For Chelsea, Jess Carter makes her 100th appearance for Chelsea amid four changes. Lauren James also comes in as do Erin Cuthbert and Kadeisha Buchanan. Fran Kirby, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Niamh Charles and Eve Perisset are benched for this one. Emma Hayes has rung the changes after that 8-0 win.
Here are the teams
Real Madrid: Misa, Andres, Kathellen, Galvez, Carmona, Weir, Toletti, Zornoza, del Castillo, Feller, Gonzalez. Subs: Robles, Abelleira, Oroz, Garcia, Gerard, Florentino, Moller, Rodriguez, Svava, Olofsson, Fuente, Camacho.
Chelsea: Berger, Carter, Kadeisha Buchanan, Bright, Eriksson, Cuthbert, Ingle, Fleming, James, Kerr, Reiten. Subs: Musovic, Nouwen, England, Svitkova, Kirby, Perisset, Mjelde, Johanna Kaneryd, Charles, Abdullina, Cankovic, Orman.
Preamble
Chelsea have won three from three of their group games but now for a trip to Spain, and Real Madrid, currently second in Liga F. It’s a return leg of a match Chelsea won 2-0 at Kingsmeadow, after goals from Sophie Ingle and Erin Cuthbert, both of them coming late on. Win this one and a place in the knockouts is all but booked for Emma Hayes’ team. They are beating all-comers at the moment, and won 8-0 at Leicester at the weekend. It looks a tall order for Real Madrid to stop the runaway train Chelsea have been this season, even when Hayes was absent. Just today, she shared her manager of the month award with assistant Denise Reddy, who took the reins in her absence.
Kick-off is at 8pm UK time. Join me.
