Actual Madrid 1-1 Chelsea: Blues miss probability to substantiate Champions League knockout place

Chelsea can have to attend to substantiate their place within the Ladies’s Champions League quarter-finals after being held at Actual Madrid.

Nevertheless, they fell behind to Caroline Weir’s first-half strike after goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger’s error.

Chelsea equalised within the second half when Guro Reiten’s penalty hit the submit, rebounded off Madrid keeper Misa and went in.

The Blues will attain the final eight in the event that they win in opposition to Albanian aspect Vllaznia on December 16.

Chelsea have 10 factors from 4 video games in Group A, 5 forward of third-placed Madrid with a significantly better aim distinction.

They may also fancy their possibilities of successful in Albania, in opposition to a Vllaznia aspect who’ve but to earn a degree or rating a aim, have conceded 19 occasions and have been overwhelmed 4-0 by Paris St-Germain earlier on Thursday.

Uncommon Berger mistake prices Chelsea

Chelsea entered this sport with a excellent group stage document, together with a 2-0 victory over Madrid at Kingsmeadow two weeks in the past. One other win right here would have seen them surpass their disappointing 2021 marketing campaign the place they did not get out of the group.

Whereas a lot of the give attention to Chelsea goes to their star-studded entrance line, goalkeeper Berger has been simply as essential to their sturdy European kind, not conceding a aim within the 2022-23 Champions League earlier than tonight.

The German can have been unsettled by therapy she wanted to her foot simply minutes earlier than the Madrid opener, seemingly sustained as she went over awkwardly whereas diving for an extended vary Olga Carmona shot which flew simply huge.

No matter the rationale, it was an uncharacteristic error by Berger as she tried to cross the ball into midfield however as an alternative solely discovered ex-Manchester Metropolis midfielder Weir, who gratefully accepted the present and slotted into the empty internet from 22 yards.

This was the second time Weir has discovered the web in opposition to a Ladies’s Tremendous League aspect after leaving Metropolis within the summer time, having scored the one aim to eradicate her previous aspect from the Champions League in qualifying.

Chelsea have been sloppy in midfield and whereas they dominated possession, 61% in the primary 70 minutes, usually gave the ball away in good positions.

They misplaced the ball simply outdoors their very own field with 10 minutes to go, leaving Carmona to interrupt by means of – just for Berger to make a effective spreading save, a well timed reminder of her significance and potential.

Blues get fortunate with weird penalty

Chelsea supervisor Hayes described the win over Madrid two weeks in the past as a “cagey affair” – there was no such warning right here because the Blues hit the woodwork 3 times, with the last one falling of their favour.

They need to have led inside two minutes when an Erin Cuthbert header from a nook was palmed away by Misa and fell to Sam Kerr who thumped the ball off the crossbar when she must have scored.

It was an off night time for Kerr, who spurned a equally clear opening half an hour later. The Australian was put by means of one-on-one in opposition to Misa by Lauren James, however pulled her shot onto the skin of the fitting submit.

As a substitute it took an immense stroke of fortune for Chelsea to equalise, after Ivana Andres clumsily introduced down Reiten in the world.

The Norwegian took the spot-kick which hit the keeper’s right-hand submit – solely to deflect again off Misa’s again and roll agonisingly over the road.

Kerr may have gained it for Chelsea within the last minutes – and put her aspect into the quarter-finals – nonetheless she was denied one-on-one once more by an outstanding save from Misa.

The 2021 finalists look seemingly to make amends this season for his or her group-stage elimination in 2021-22, however this should depend as a warning call.