A controversial penalty on Athenea del Castillo with eleven minutes remaining and which Olga Carmona, author of a double, was in charge of transforming into the final 2-2, allowed Real Madrid to start its journey in the Women’s Champions League with a draw against a Chelsea that was superior. Undefeated leaders of the English League, the Chelsea players seemed to jump onto the Alfredo Di Stéfano pitch ready to make it clear that, at least today, they are still one step ahead of the white team in the European rankings. As was clear last season, in which the English team won 2-0 in London and drew 1-1 on their visit to Madrid in the two matches they played with Alberto Toril’s team in the Champions League. A statistic that Emma Hayes, who will leave the Chelsea bench at the end of the season to coach the United States team, was willing to extend in a start to the match in which they were clearly superior to Real Madrid. Clinging to the verticality of the Swede Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, tireless throughout the match, the London team tested the reliability of the white defense from the opening whistle. Especially full-back Olga Carmona, who not only had to deal with the attacks of the Swedish player, but also of the midfielder Francesca Kirby and the Australian forward Samantha Kerr, who fell again and again to the right wing. In fact, Carmona had to go all out after four minutes to miraculously snatch the ball inside the area from Kirby, who seemed to have everything in his favor to open the scoring. But the Spanish international not only knows how to defend, but also attack, as she demonstrated after ten minutes with a powerful left-footed shot from outside the area that became 1-0 after lightly touching the Chelsea captain, center back Millie Bright. A goal that seemed to disconcert the English team, which at times allowed a Real Madrid team to breathe that was only able to get dangerously close to the rival area in Olga Carmona’s goal. Truce that Francesca Kirby was responsible for ending, who with a measured pass left the Australian Kerr completely alone inside the area, who ran into a sensational Misa who prevented the goal with a spectacular save. However, the Real Madrid goalkeeper could do nothing to prevent Niamh Charles from returning the tie to the scoreboard in the 41st minute, after finishing off a cross from the right wing by Canadian Ashley Lawrence with a perfect header.
The tie further accentuated the ambition of Chelsea, a semi-finalist last season, who started the second half in the same way they concluded the first, locking Real Madrid into their own area.
A clear dominance that the London team only took time to put on the scoreboard due to the good work of Misa, who again deprived the Australian Samantha Kerr of the goal in the 51st minute with a miraculous save with one foot. However, on the third occasion Kerr did not fail and in the 74th minute the Oceanic team put Chelsea ahead (1-2) by heading a cross from the left by Charles into the net. A goal that seemed to ensure victory for the London team, given the superiority shown by Emma Hayes’ team, but when everything seemed more complicated for Real Madrid came the equalizer of Alberto Toril’s team in an action not without controversy. Jessie Fleming’s foul on Athenea del Castillo, which the referee awarded as a penalty, seemed outside the area.
A maximum penalty that Olga Carmona did not waste to establish in the 79th minute what would ultimately be the final 2-2, despite the fact that Chelsea had two excellent chances to win. But first Misa with a spectacular save from a shot by the Swedish Johanna Rytting Kaneryd in the 86th minute and then the crossbar, which repelled a shot from Lauren James in the 89th minute, prevented the “blues”, who saw the referee in the extension. They had a goal disallowed for offside, taking Di Stéfano’s three points.
2023-11-16 02:33:23
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