Real Madrid 2
Chelsea 2
TWO GOALS FROM World Cup winner Olga Carmona earned Real Madrid a 2-2 draw against Emma Hayes’s Chelsea in Group D of the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday night.
Hayes was announced on Tuesday as the new coach of the US women’s national team, a move which will make her the highest paid coach in the women’s game.
And her Chelsea side looked impressive against the Liga F runners-up, who needed a controversial late penalty to escape with a point.
The home side got off to a flyer 10 minutes in when Carmona, the scorer of the only goal in the World Cup final, shot from distance and a wicked deflection off Millie Bright wrong-footed the keeper.
Despite this start, Chelsea began regularly to cause a threat with their wide play and eventually the pressure cost Madrid four minutes before the break. Ashley Lawrence crossed from the right and Niamh Charles was unmarked to head in from the edge of the six-yard box to level matters.
In the second half it was again the wide areas where Chelsea found joy, as Charles turned provider and stood a cross up for Sam Kerr to head the English champions into the lead with 16 minutes remaining.
But just five minutes later, Carmona rifled home an equalising penalty, which was awarded after a clumsy tackle by Jessie Fleming that looked to be just outside the box.
Elsewhere in Group D, goals either side of half-time from Rosa Kafaji and Anna Sandberg ensured a 2-1 win for Hacken at Paris FC.
In Group C, Ajax laid down a statement in Amsterdam by beating 2-0 PSG through first-half goals from Tiny Hoekstra and Sherida Spitse, while Roma earned a dramatic 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich thanks to a last-minute equaliser by Manuela Giugliano.
