Chelsea 3-2 Real Madrid: Sonia Bompastor scores first European win as Blues boss with three different goalscorers starring at Stamford Bridge

It was not the preparation Sonia Bompastor would have wanted heading into her first Champions League game as Chelsea manager.

The postponement of the Blues’ Women’s Super League match with Manchester United, which was due to take place on Sunday but was canceled due to player welfare, had significantly changed her preparation for the visit of Real Madrid.

As if that wasn’t enough for Bompastor, a virus of illness had swept through the Chelsea team in the days before the match.

Catarina Macario was among the players affected, while Erin Cuthbert was absent from the squad after suffering a blow in training. Hannah Hampton, who was listed as the starting player, fell ill shortly before kickoff and was replaced in the lineup by Zecira Musovic.

But despite these challenges, Chelsea got through their first group match with relative ease, as goals from Sjoeke Nusken, Guro Reiten and Mayra Ramirez sealed a 3-2 win. It would have been a more comfortable victory for the Blues had they not lost concentration twice while trying to clear the ball in their own penalty area.

Sonia Bompastor claimed her first Champions League victory as Blues boss on Tuesday

Chelsea had three different goalscorers as they finally beat Real Madrid

Sjoeke Nusken scored Chelsea’s opening goal as Real Madrid struggled to keep their opponents at bay

The low attendance at Stamford Bridge, which has a maximum capacity of 5,000, contributed to a largely flat atmosphere, which perhaps affected the overall quality of the game.

But Bompastor will be happy if he is wrong. Her team couldn’t have started better when they opened the scoring after just two minutes.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s cross was tapped in by Nusken and ended up in her own goal by Sheila Garcia. When Nusken’s effort went on target, the goal was officially awarded to the Chelsea midfielder.

Both teams struggled to create many clear-cut chances in the stages after the opening goal, but Chelsea had the chance to double their lead from the penalty spot just before the half-hour mark, with Maelle Lakrar penalized for a clumsy challenge on Lucy. Bronze.

Reiten stepped up and slid the ball into the bottom left corner past Misa Rodriguez to score her third goal in as many games.

But Real pulled a goal back just before half-time when Alba Redondo reacted first to a loose ball in the penalty area, with the striker firing a shot under Musovic.

Chelsea’s slow response to the goal battle had summed up the flat atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, but the hosts lifted the energy at the start of the second half with the best move of the match.

Bompastor (left) was congratulated full-time on her side’s victory by Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly (right).

Chelsea’s Mayra Ramirez scored her side’s third to complete a dominant display on home field

Lauren James found space on the right and sent a perfectly weighted cross to Ramirez, who guided a header over Misa Rodriguez into the roof of the net.

Chelsea controlled most of the second half but Real were lifted off the bench by the introduction of Linda Caicedo and the Colombian midfielder produced a nervy finish when she pulled a goal back in the 83rd minute.

Chelsea had several attempts to clear the ball before it fell to Eva Navarro on the right. Her effort was blocked on the line by Brons, but Caicedo reacted first and tapped in the loose ball at the back post.

But that was all Real managed in the closing stages as Chelsea held their tongues to claim the first three points of their European campaign.