Chelsea Women defeated Real Sociedad Women 5-2 in the UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifying first leg, powered by a second-half brace from Melvine Malard.
Chelsea Women Power Past Real Sociedad in Seven-Goal UWCL Thriller
Chelsea Women took a commanding step toward the UEFA Women’s Champions League group phase with an emphatic 5-2 victory over Real Sociedad in their third qualifying round first-leg clash at the Cherry Red Records Stadium in London. Despite falling behind early, the Blues showcased their attacking firepower in the second half, led by a memorable debut brace from French forward Melvine Malard.
See also:Â Real Madrid Women Beat Ajax 2-0 in Crucial First-Leg Qualifier
Early Drama and Quick Answers
The Basque visitors delivered an immediate shock to the home crowd in the 7th minute. Ainhoa MarÃn unleashed a sensational long-range strike that looped over the Chelsea goalkeeper to give Real Sociedad an unexpected 1-0 advantage.
Chelsea Women responded by dominating possession and pinning the visitors deep inside their own half. The equalizer arrived in the 29th minute when defender Naomi Girma glanced in a dangerous corner delivery, restoring parity at 1-1 before the interval.
Second-Half Goal Frenzy
The contest burst into life after the break as Chelsea Women took the lead in the 54th minute through Veerle Buurman, who finished sharply from close range. However, Real Sociedad refused to back down and struck back just four minutes later in the 58th minute, with Cecilia Marcos finding the back of the net to make it 2-2.
The turning point came when Chelsea introduced fresh attacking firepower off the bench.
In the 67th minute, debutant Melvine Malard restored Chelsea’s lead with a clinical strike.
Seven minutes later, in the 74th minute, Lauren James extended the cushion to 4-2 by finishing off a flowing team move.
Malard put the result beyond doubt in the 88th minute, netting her second goal of the night with a neat close-range finish following an accurate cross. The 5-2 triumph gives Chelsea a healthy three-goal cushion heading into the second leg in San Sebastián.