Women's Champions League: Chelsea Women Beat Real Madrid Women 3-2 In Thriller

Chelsea kicked off their 2024-25 Women's Champions League campaign with a 3-2 victory at home to Real Madrid in Group B. (More Football News)

The victory put the Blues in second in their group after one match, while it was a perfect start for manager Sonia Bompastor, who was taking charge of her first Ch🗹ampions League game for🅰 the club.

Bompastor led Lyon to the Champions League final in two of the last three seasons, winning it in 2021-22. She will be hoping to do the same in west London this season and things got off to the perfect start for her and Chelsea in this game.

Sjoeke Nusken's second-m🍒inute goal put the home side ahead - unsurprisingly, that is the quickest g💜oal in the Champions League this season.

In miserable weather at Stamford Bridge, things got even better for the hosts after they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Nusken. Guro Reiten made it 2-0 from the spot in the 28th minute, with Madrid𒅌 goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez unable to get a hand to it despite diving the right way.

But Madrid were back in it 11 minutes later, with Alba Redondo finishing tidily through Z🔴ecira Musovic's legs - her second Champions League goal in♛ as many matches.

They were unable to make the most of that lifeline, witﷺh Chelsea restoring their two-goal advantage soon after the break. Mayra Ramirez scored her first goal of the season, heading in Lauren James' cross seven minutes afte꧑r the restart.

The drama was not finished though. Substitute Linda Caicedo once again cut the deficit for the visitors, making it a n✤ervy final seven minutes for Chelsea, but the home side held on to claim a valuable🅰 three points.

Chelsea have now lost just💜 one of their last 19 group stage matches (W13 D5) and are unbeaten across their l🐭ast 13 (W10 D3); the only other team to have participated in every group stage since they were introduced in 2021 and lost just once is Barcelona (W16 D1).

Elsewhere in Group B, Celtic were beaten 2-0 by FC Twente in t🌠heir opener, which marked their first-ever game in the Champions League.

Kayleigh van Dooren netted twice for the Dutch side, although the Scottish champions 🍰held out until the 44th minute before conceding.

In truth, they were second-best with the visitors dominating possession, having over 70% of the ball, and taking double the shots on target of their hosts (six ♛to three). Twente got a second five minutes from time and go top of the group.