Chelsea 2-1 Real Madrid: Guro Reiten penalty and Mylene Chavas own goal send hosts into Champions League quarter-finals
Report as Chelsea qualify for the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League with one game to spare; Guro Reiten's second-half penalty and a Mylene Chavas own goal see Emma Hayes' side through as Group D winners; Athenea had equalised for Real Madrid
Wednesday 24 January 2024 22:36, UK
Guro Reiten's penalty and a Mylene Chavas own goal saw Chelsea beat Real Madrid 2-1 at Stamford Bridge to qualify for the Women's Champions League quarter-finals as Group D winners.
Knowing three points from their final two games would be enough to progress to the last eight, Reiten's spot-kick in the 62nd minute after a foul on Niamh Charles opened the scoring for Emma Hayes' side to send them on their way.
Real substitute Athenea looked to have spoiled the party by equalising against the run of play (69), but a Chelsea victory never looked in doubt as just seconds later, Chavas turned Erin Cuthbert's cross into her own net to put the hosts back in charge (70) and they comfortably saw out the win.
Chelsea's first chance fell to the left foot of Cuthbert — wearing the captain's armband with Millie Bright still absent — but her low drive hit the legs of Chavas after Fran Kirby had found her with a deft through ball.
Jess Carter drilled a searching pass to the left flank that was helped on by Charles, rampaging forward from full-back, into the path of Reiten. She hit an audacious, dipping effort that was just clawed out from underneath the crossbar.
Real threatened through Colombia international Linda Caicedo, tricking her way in behind Kadeisha Buchanan and looking to poke it beyond Hannah Hampton from a devilish angle. The goalkeeper, making her Champions League debut, instinctively threw up a strong right hand and beat the ball
Read on skysports.com
