Wieke Kaptein’s early goal gave Chelsea a winning start to their Champions League campaign against Austria Vienna but it was a far from comfortable evening for the Blues.
A David v Goliath endeavour welcomed the visiting team at the Cherry Red Records Stadium. The mammoth financial gulf between the two teams was highlighted by the Austrian broadcaster ORF in the buildup, which reported that “Chelsea Women’s personnel costs alone for the 2024-25 season, at a cool €17m, were higher than those of the entire Austria club (€14.9m) – including the men’s department, by far the largest item.” Uefa, meanwhile, noted that the manager, Stefan Kenesei, has a full-time job in state pensions insurance.
Sonia Bompastor seemingly did not want to take much of a risk, despite the gap between the Women’s Super League and ÖFB Frauen-Bundesliga sides and a huge league game against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge coming up on Sunday.
There were only three changes to the team that defeated Birmingham 2-0 on Saturday, with Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze and Lexi Potter making way for Livia Peng, Katie McCabe and Melvine Malard. It was a statement of intent from a team desperate to get their hands on the only club trophy to elude them.
They were right to be cautious, though, as the Danish side HB Køge showed against Arsenal on Tuesday night that Champions League minnows can cause big problems. It was a businesslike performance from the home team who are yet to hit their stride but are proving to be increasingly efficient game by game.
A moment of magic from the Dutch midfielder Wieke Kaptein gave the Blues tan early lead 11 minutes in. The 21-year-old was quickest to the loose ball after a slick sliding tackle from Katharina Schiechtl dispossessed Malard and she sent a rising strike in off the underside of the bar from 25 yards out.
Austria Vienna instantly went in search of a reply and forced a corner which came to nothing. They went far closer twice before the break. First Modesta Uka forced a save from Peng and Virginia Kirchberger fired the parried ball over the bar. Then Louise Schöffel went on an artful run into the middle before putting the ball narrowly wide.
The small block of travelling fans appreciated the efforts of the underdogs, drowning out the home crowd for much of the match. Uka was their brightest outlet, her close control provided both an attacking threat and gave her teammates a reprieve from chasing. Set pieces were also a focus and forced some scrappy moments in the box from the home team.
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Marie-Antoinette Katoto [pictured] scored a hat-trick as Lyonnes thrashed Servette 8-0 in their opening league phase game of the Women’s Champions League. Katoto’s treble, Melchie Dumornay’s double and two own goals from the Swiss hosts saw Lyonnes go top of the early standings with a crushing display.
The eight-times winners went ahead eight minutes in through Laia Balleste’s own goal before Katoto took control. The France striker bagged her first of the night in the 28th minute and added a second 12 minutes later. Dumornay’s chipped finish gave Lyon a four-goal advantage at the break and just two minutes after the restart, Katoto completed her treble from Lily Yohanes’ backheeled pass.
Dumornay added her second in the 54th minute and Laura Strik’s own goal piled more misery on Swiss champions Servette, who conceded again in the 89th minute when Ines Benyahia struck. In Wednesday’s other early kick-off, Roma substitute Marta Pandini hit the post with a stoppage-time penalty as they were held to a 0-0 draw at OH Leuven.
Ewa Pajor’s double helped holders Barcelona get off to a winning start as they came back from behind to beat Paris FC 5-2. Barça were handed an initial scare when Evelyne Viens put Paris in front only five minutes in, but Kerolin replied for the hosts with a tidy finish in the 18th minute.
Clara Serrajordi put Barca ahead 10 minutes later, kicking off a destructive 15 minute-period for the hosts, which saw Pajor and Caroline Graham Hansen strike.
Pajor struck again in the 70th minute, before the visitors pulled one back through Clara Mateo as Barça comfortably saw out the win.
Lyonnes host Chelsea next Wednesday in their second league-phase game, while Barcelona visit Roma and Paris FC welcome Arsenal. PA Media
The longer it went without Bompastor’s side building on their lead, the more confident the players in white became.
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Chelsea went close to a second on the break after two corners in quick succession for Austria Vienna, when Kaptein met Ellie Carpenter’s pull-back and forced a save from Jasmin Pal. Again the travelling side responded, with Uka testing Peng.
Just shy of the 70th minute there was another tense moment for the Blues, when pressure from Uka forced Veerle Buurman into an error and McCabe looked to have clipped the Austria Vienna player who seemed to have beaten her to the ball, but a pause after the ball went out of play did not lead to an intervention from the video assistant referee.
There were more chances at either end but Chelsea clung on. Frustrations boiled over a little at the close, when Almedina Sisic re-entered the field without waiting a minute after receiving some treatment, with Bompastor forced to hold back her enraged assistant Camille Abily before giving the fourth official a piece of her own mind.
In the end, it is a testament to the visiting team that they will leave London extremely disappointed to have not taken anything from a game that gave them opportunity after opportunity to do so. Chelsea, meanwhile, can breathe easy but they have a job to do to snuff out those chances before they face a side that will capitalise and punish them.
