Chelsea's Women's Champions League journey began with a challenging 1-1 draw against Twente. Despite their previous success against Twente, scoring nine goals in last year's group stage, Chelsea couldn't
replicate that performance on Wednesday. Sonia Bompastor made seven changes from the team that drew with Manchester United in the Women's Super League, but these adjustments didn't hinder Chelsea's early momentum.
Twente's goalkeeper, Diede Lemey, was kept busy early on, making crucial saves to deny Sjoeke Nusken's powerful volley and Aggie Beever-Jones' long-range effort. Chelsea maintained pressure throughout the first half, with Lemey again thwarting Alyssa Thompson's attempt to score. The match remained goalless at halftime.
Five minutes into the second half, Thompson thought she had scored when she found the net from close range. However, the goal was disallowed due to Nusken being offside during the build-up. Twente then took a surprising lead in the 63rd minute when Danique van Ginkel delivered a remarkable strike into the top-right corner.
Twente's advantage was short-lived as Sandy Baltimore equalised seven minutes later by converting a penalty after Guro Reiten was fouled by Lynn Groenewegen inside the box. Despite introducing experienced players like Sam Kerr to push for a winner, Chelsea couldn't break through Twente's solid defence.
Chelsea were expected to start their Champions League campaign with a victory, given their status as one of the favourites for the title. However, they struggled to find their usual clinical touch in front of goal under Bompastor's leadership. The Blues managed an impressive expected goals (xG) total of 3.02 from 20 shots but only hit the target six times compared to Twente's xG of 0.51 from five attempts.
This result extends Chelsea's winless streak in the Champions League to three matches. Their last longer winless run occurred between March and November 2023, spanning four games. Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, Chelsea couldn't secure a much-needed victory against Twente.
The match highlighted Chelsea's need for sharper finishing and resilience in defence as they aim for success in this season's Champions League campaign.
