Chelsea v Austria Vienna: Women’s Champions League – stay
Key occasions
54 min Hamano intercepts a move into midfield and finds Thompson, racing ahead for the return, however pal is alive to the hazard, out rapidly to collect.
53 min Vienna are pushing, Potzl discovering Hanshaw, whose cross is bundled behind for a goalkick.
52 min Uka shoots into the wall, then tries to get at Buchanan on the surface, solely to lose the bodily battle.
52 min Here come Vienna once more with Potzl; McCabe shoves her, is booked, and Chelsea should now defend a free-kick 23 yards out, proper of centre…
50 min Pfattner picks up a unfastened ball in midfield and sends Schoffel, who makes good grounds down the appropriate, then falls when the time involves cross or shoot.
50 min Baltimore out to Thompson, now on the left, and he or she squares up Wenninger, finds a capturing lane, and curves her end into Pal’s midriff.
49 min The League Cup sport is over, Man United beating Sheffield United 10-1.
47 min Hamano has gone to the appropriate wing with Thompson transferring into the center. I’m to see how that works – I’m wondering if taking part in centrally would possibly negate the American’s pace however, however, if she beats her marker, she’ll be in on aim.
46 min We go once more. Chelsea carry on Hamano for Malard.
Elsewhere: Barcelona 4-1 Paris FC
Half-time studying: not soccer, however that is glorious, containing so many nuggets of perception about how onerous boxing is.
HALF-TIME: Chelsea 1-0 Austria Vienna
Kaptein’s good aim is the distinction, however the perfect likelihood, by far, was missed by Vienna’s Kirchberger.
45 min We’ll have one further minute.
44 min Chelsea may do with half-time, not phrases I significantly purported to sort quarter-hour in the past. But they’ve obtained a bit ragged since Walsh went off, shedding management of midfield, and aren’t feeding Thompson as typically as they need to.
42 min Here come Vienna once more, Potzl operating at Buchanan and capturing into her legs, profitable a nook … which involves nowt.
40 min After a quiet interval, Vienna are coming again into this, Schoffel, coming off the flank to glide throughout Kaptein then Potter, catches Peng with an early shot, hit from 20 yards, proper of centre, and swinging out however heading for the underside nook … earlier than slipping simply large. That’s an awesome effort and one other warning for Chelsea.
37 min I’m fairly liking Katie McCabe at left centre-back. Terry Venables at all times preferred a full-back in one of many large positions when taking part in a 3 as a result of he needed the tempo and skill on the ball, and McCabe gives that.
36 min In the ladies’s League Cup, Man United lead Sheffield United 9-0 with about quarter-hour to go.
34 min Uka was meant to be the expertise of Vienna’s outfit and he or she’s proving it tonight.
32 min Uka goes brief to Pfattner, accepts the return, and the cross is a goodun, Peng shovelling it again into play and, with the keeper on the bottom, Kirchberger has an empty web … however she shoots over! That’s nearly as good an opportunity as Vienna are getting, and it actually must be 1-1.
31 min Vienna win a throw deep contained in the Chelsea half and Schoffel hurls lengthy … so Potter slices behind.
30 min Vienna began positively however Chelsea have taken over. Still, so long as it stays 1-0, they’re within the sport.
28 min Lovely little triangle down the Chelsea left, Malard again to McCabe, into Baltimore and inside to Malard, who seems for a low roller to the far put up … however can’t get fairly sufficient draw.
27 min Vienna simply can’t management Alyssa Thompson. Chelsea have to get her the ball each time doable and have Malard assault the entrance put up with Baltimore dropping off for the cut-back.
25 min Carpenter feeds Thompson on the touchline and he or she burst inside Hanshaw then outdoors Weiss, an electrical eel. She would possibly cross, however opts to shoot … her effort scooshing simply previous the far put up.
23 min Thompson is the outlet as soon as extra, attacking house then discovering Nusken, who ought to enable it throughout her physique and shoot however as a substitute seems for Baltimore, her move intercepted and the chance misplaced.
21 min Malards fights for the ball on the sting and Nusken, getting back from an offside place, turns across the nook to Carpenter, who’s gradual to hit her shot, stabbing large of the close to put up.
20 min Uka clips Buchanan’s heels and for a second it seems like she’s in, however because the ball runs away, the whistle goes.
19 min Bad information for Chelsea: Keira Walsh goes off injured. It’s not clear what’s up butm as Emma Burn factors out, nobody’s asking her what the matter is, which suggests a pre-existing problem. Lexi Potter comes on.
18 min A ball from Nusken into Malard, who turns across the nook and down the road for Thompson, who wins the race to it, feints inside then nips outdoors, pretty play … however there’s nobody within the field attacking her cross. Still, she seems harmful.
17 min The aim got here simply as Chelsea have been discovering house between the strains, however Vienna seem like they could have one in them too; I’m simply undecided they’ll have the ability to chorus from conceding one other whereas they search it.
16 min McCabe goes close to put up once more, and this time the ball is bundled behind for a goalkick.
15 min Now Chelsea win a nook, McCabe delivering to the entrance put up, the place Pal does simply sufficient to flap behind for an additional.
14 min Vienna come straight again – they’re trying to assault each time doable – and win a nook, which picks out Schiechtl behind the field. Her header isn’t unhealthy, nevertheless it’s crazy and passes simply large and simply excessive of the far angle.
WHAT A GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Austria Vienna (Kaptain 12)
Baltmore drives on the Vienna defences and punches sq. to Malard; Schiechtl slides in to disburse a stable problem. But the ball breaks unfastened to Kaptein, 22 yards out, good of centre, and he or she controls an excellent rising end, snapping foot below ball with no follow-through, that shrieks in, off the bar.
11 min Vienna might be comparatively happ…
9 min Chelsea probe, then Buurman decides to gambol ahead … earlier than a poor contact cedes possession. That’s very careless.
7 min It’s a bit gradual from Chelsea thus far, Peng looking for to bait the press by exchanging passes with Buchanan. It doesn’t work, although, the ball once more given away cheaply, besides i sort of does as a result of when Vienna spring, Chelsea counter on them, Thompson bouncing down the appropriate and chopping again for Kaptein, who can’t fairly kind her toes out, the tame sidefooted end straight at Pal.
5 min But then Walsh offers it away and Vienna spring, Uka capturing from distance … straight at Peng.
4 min Vienna assault down the appropriate and Potzl wins a nook off Walsh … however the supply is poor and Chelsea being the ball away.
3 min Chelsea knock it about, whereas Vienna sit in form, participating as soon as the ball comes into their half. But McCabe nonetheless finds Nusken between the strains fairly simply, however the subsequent move is poor.
2 min “My son and I are on our means residence from watching our beloved Servette come head to head with the crushing actuality of soccer on the high desk, writes Jez Smith. “Anyway, we reckon we discovered the particular person with most boring job in soccer: watching the empty seats on the match.”
Maybe he couldn’t face any extra. But I’m additionally certain watching the seats is extra enjoyable than watching Louis van Gaal’s Man United.
1 min And away we go!
…we’re nearly prepared…
Out come our groups…
So the place is the sport? I think about Vienna will defend deep and in numbers – with 5 strung out throughout the again, they’ll be onerous to get round or by way of. So Chelsea will, I believe, look to maneuver the ball rapidly and hit huge switches, with Nusken and Walsh trying to thread Malard by way of, and Kaptein making third-person runs.
Bompastor talks about her staff needing to be extra ruthless, citing a scarcity thereof even earlier than she grew to become supervisor. She needs her staff to be centered within the huge moments, and that’s about it.
FULL-TIME SCORES
Leuven 0-0 Roma
Servette 0-8 Lyon
Here comes the pen … and Pandini hits the put up! Justice is served!
In Leuven, Roma have simply been awarded a penalty that’s an absolute nonsense, the ball headed again into the arm of a participant a yard or two away and searching in the other way. “Shitty” is the decision of whichever Van Dongen twin stated it.
In the studio, Tyra Mills is carrying a trackie that appears just like the final phrase in consolation. Would put on.
Malard, the summer season signing from Man United, scored off the bench on the weekend, and I’m wanting ahead to seeing how she does tonight. With Beevor-Jones quickly to be match, there’s competitors for her place, so this can be a likelihood for her to say herself.
I’m undecided we’ll see Chelsea play 3-5-2 that usually this season. It is sensible tonight as a result of Vienna are taking part in it and, if groups match up, the higher one tends to win; it additionally make sense given the gamers Sonia Bompastor has accessible.
Against Birmingham on the weekend, Chelsea arrange in a 3-4-3 and there are three modifications made to that XI: in web, Livia Peng replaces Hannah Hampton; on the again, Katie McCabe is on for Lucy Bronze; and up entrance, Melvine Malard is available in, with Wieke Kaptein dropping into midfield and Lexi Potter dropping to the bench.
I’m going to jot down these down, then we’ll take a more in-depth take a look at what would possibly come to move. In the meantime, although, elsewhere it’s Leuven 0-0 Roma and Servette 0-7 Lyon, with just below 70 minutes gone.
Teams!
Chelsea (3-5-2): Peng; Buchanan, Buurman, McCabe; Carpenter, Kaptein, Walsh, Nusken, Thompson; Malard, Baltimore. Subs: Hampton, Rudz, Girma, Bjorn, Dragoni, Las, Bronze, Hamano, Brown, Potter, Sarwie.
Austria Vienna (3-5-2-): Pal; Wenninger, Schiechtl, Kirchberger; Schoffel, Potzl, Pfattner, Weiss, Hanshaw; Uka, Pfanner. Subs: Goetz, Gartner, Pucci, Cordes, Sisic, Jakobsen, Orkic, Schorn, Pichler.
Referee: Miriama Bockova (Slovakia)
Preamble
No English membership has gained extra WSL titles than Chelsea’s eight; of these eight, 4 have been doubles and three have been trebles; solely Chelsea have been champions 3 times in a row, by no means thoughts the streak of six they managed between 2019-20 and 2024-25; and but.
And but by no means have Chelsea been champions of Europe; extremely, they’ve reached just one closing, a wound deepened and doused in salted TCP by Arsenal reaching the feat twice.
Now, as they start an eleventh tilt at it, they’re now not even champions of England, ending third final season, and in addition sit third within the present league desk, having drawn their opening match towards lowly Aston Villa. Since then, they’ve whacked Manchester United and crushed Birmingham however, with out Lauren James, Erin Cuthbert, Manaka Matsukobo and Aggie Beever-Jones, are nonetheless a way in need of full energy.
Nevertheless they need to have sufficient to get by Austria Vienna, making their debut within the competitors correct having fallen on the closing qualifying spherical final time period. But it gained’t have escaped the discover of both staff that, final night, Arsenal required an injury-time penalty to see off Køge, which is to say that although may very well be one-sided, it may be very a lot not.
Kick-off: 8pm BST
