Real Madrid 2-2 Chelsea: Player Ratings as Blues start UWCL campaign with draw
Real Madrid denied Chelsea victory on Women's Champions League matchday one thanks to a controversial late penalty from World Cup star Olga Carmona.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes faced her first fixture after it was confirmed she would be trading Cobham for Chicago and taking up the role of head coach of the US Women's National Team at the end of the current season after 12 years in charge of the Blues.
A brace from Carmona, who scored the only goal in the World Cup final to hand defeat to England three months ago, cancelled out Chelsea's two headed goals from Niamh Charles and Sam Kerr.
Madrid's solid attack was quickly rewarded with an early goal 10 minutes in. The first shot of the game fell to Spain's World Cup-winning captain Carmona whose rocket of a strike took a big deflection off Chelsea skipper Millie Bright to barrel into the back of the net.
Every time Chelsea were pressing forward, Madrid’s defence swarmed them and forced the visitors into errors, in an impressive start to the group stage from the hosts.
Chelsea began to compose themselves in search of an equaliser but Madrid were still firmly pulling the strings to keep last years semi-finalists at bay. Chelsea's break allowed Fran Kirby to feed Sam Kerr who whipped goal-bound but Misa Rodrigues made an exceptional save before Erin Cuthbert and Jessie Fleming were both denied in the same manor.
Chelsea looked shaky defensively, with their midfield also appearing uncharacteristically passive. Yet the Blues front line was far from subdued and were rewarded for their invigorated attack, with Charles netting her first European goal to level the score.
Charles, who has created the most chances for any club in the WSL so far this season, broke away from Athenea del
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