Women's Champions League highlights and round-up: Chelsea, Lyon, Roma, Twente win
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
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Chelsea and Lyon underlined their UEFA Women's Champions League credentials with impressive opening-day victories.
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Chelsea saw off Real Madrid 3-2 in perhaps the game of the opening night of the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League group stage. Last season's runners-up Lyon also made a winning start, while Roma held off Wolfsburg and Twente claimed three points on their group stage debut.
UEFA.com rounds up all the action.
Click on any scoreline to look back at all the action as it happened.
Group A
Roma held off a concerted second-half effort from two-time champions Wolfsburg to seal all three points. A 14th-minute penalty from skipper Manuela Giugliano proved the difference in the Italian capital, but the hosts were equally indebted to Camelia Ceasar. The goalkeeper made several fine saves as Wolfsburg sought an equaliser, and even when she was twice beaten, the crossbar intervened as Roma held on.
Kadidiatou Diani struck twice as the eight-time champions proved too strong for Türkiye's group stage debutants. Galatasaray defended stoutly throughout in Décines, but once Diani had found the net with a predatory header on 34 minutes, there only ever looked like being one winner. The aerial route also brought Lyon's second on the brink of half-time, from Vanessa Gilles, before Diani (77) settled it with her second header of the game, a carbon copy of her first.
17 October: Galatasaray vs Roma, Wolfsburg vs Lyon
Group B
Chelsea continued their winning start to life under Sonia Bompastor, but the English side had to endure a nervy finale. Sjoeke Nüsken's deflected header gave the Blues an early lead, before a foul on the midfielder enabled Guro Reiten to double the advantage from the spot. Alba Redondo's neat finish got Real Madrid back in it, but Mayra Ramírez restored the hosts' two-goal advantage shortly after the restart. That proved decisive as Las Blancas substitute Linda Caicedo made it 3-2 before Chelsea held on.
Twente came out on top in a meeting of two group stage debutants. The Dutch visitors dominated in Hamilton and scored in both halves through Kayleigh van Dooren. The midfielder lobbed Kelsey Daugherty from the edge of the penalty area for the first then lashed in from close range late on to seal it.
17 October: Real Madrid vs Celtic, Twente vs Chelsea
Wednesday's fixtures
Group C
Bayern vs Arsenal (18:45), Vålerenga vs Juventus (21:00)
Group D
Hammarby vs St. Pölten (18:45), Man City vs Barcelona (21:00)
*All times CET