Women's Champions League highlights and round-up: Chelsea win at Paris; Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, Roma off mark
Thursday, October 20, 2022
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Millie Bright gave Chelsea a 1-0 win at Paris Saint-Germain while there were also opening victories for Wolfsburg, Real Madrid and Roma.
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Chelsea gained a second London victory in France on UEFA Women's Champions League group stage Matchday 1 as they triumphed 1-0 at Paris Saint-Germain on a night when Real Madrid, Wolfsburg and debutants Roma also picked up three points.
UEFA.com rounds up all the action.
Click on any scoreline to look back at all the action as it happened and watch highlights from midnight CET.
Group A
A day after Arsenal opened with victory at Lyon, Chelsea also secured maximum points in France thanks to Millie Bright's first-half volley. Chelsea, keen to make up for their surprise 2021/22 group exit months after reaching the final, struck on 27 minutes when Bright peeled away at the far post and sent a controlled effort from Erin Cuthbert's cross past Sarah Bouhaddi.
The visitors had the better of the chances throughout, with Sam Kerr a constant threat. Paris, who won all six of their group games last season on their way to the semis, went closest through the lively Kadidiatou Diani, but lacked precision in the final third.
Vllaznia, the first Albanian side to play in the last 16 of any UEFA club competition since 1989/90, held out well against the 2021/22 quarter-finalists but were undone by two second-half goals.
The visitors were dominant, in front of an Albanian record crowd for any UEFA women's fixture of 5,400, hitting the crossbar three times before Esther González slotted in the 54th-minute opener. She had another effort diverted on to the post before Olga Carmona was tripped in the area with 14 minutes to go. The attacker got up to convert the penalty herself.
26 October: Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea vs Vllaznia
Group B
Two-time champions Wolfsburg made a dominant start to this season’s campaign with a one-sided win over Austria's first group representatives, St. Pölten. Two goals in the first 15 minutes from Ewa Pajor, the second a cute chip, gave the home team a lead they never looked like losing.
In the 56th minute, Lena Lattwein increased the advantage, tapping in the rebound after Pajor was denied a hat-trick by visiting goalkeeper Carina Schlüter. Jill Roord ensured a comprehensive success for last season’s semi-finalists just before the end with a low shot.
Roma, who beat Sparta Praha in round 2 to reach the group stage on debut, claimed victory against the other Czech capital giants courtesy of Valentina Giacinti's second-half goal.
Three-time quarter-finalists Slavia made Roma work but on 62 minutes Emilie Haavi produced a thrilling run and strike, which Giacinti touched over the line. The Serie A outfit held on for all three points, but were given a scare by the Czech top-flight leaders when Marjolen Nekesa's looping 83rd-minute shot bounced off the crossbar.
26 October: St. Pölten vs Roma, Slavia Praha vs Wolfsburg