Catarina Macario, the United States striker, made a significant impact after coming on as a halftime substitute, scoring two penalties to lead Chelsea to a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid. This win secured Chelsea’s position at the top of their Women’s Champions League group with a perfect record on Tuesday.
While Chelsea had already secured their place in the quarterfinals, Real Madrid needed a win at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano to claim the top spot in Group B. The Spanish side initially appeared set for victory when Caroline Weir scored in the seventh minute, capitalizing on a rebound after Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton parried her shot onto the post.
Macario’s introduction at halftime proved pivotal. Her dynamic play earned Chelsea a penalty when she was fouled by Olga Carmona. The Brazil-born forward confidently converted the penalty with a right-footed shot into the top corner in the 51st minute. Just five minutes later, she scored again from the spot after Wieke Kaptein’s flick struck Carmona’s outstretched hand.
Under the guidance of new coach Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea remains unbeaten this season, having won all six of their group matches and nine out of ten in the Women’s Super League, with one draw.
In other group matches, Lyon, the eight-time champions, also finished with a perfect 18 points after a 1-0 win over two-time winners Wolfsburg, thanks to Danielle van de Donk’s goal in the 81st minute. Both Lyon and Chelsea had already qualified for the knockout stage. Roma secured a 3-0 victory over Galatasaray in Group A, while Twente defeated Celtic 3-0 in Group B, with all four teams already eliminated from further contention.
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