On Tuesday, the United States forward Catarina Macario made a significant impact as she came off the bench at halftime, successfully converting two penalties for Chelsea in a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid. This win enabled Chelsea to secure the top position in their Women’s Champions League group with an unbeaten record.
Although Real Madrid had already secured their spot in the quarterfinals alongside Chelsea, they needed a win at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano to clinch the title of Group B winners. The Spanish side initially took control of the match when Caroline Weir found the net in the seventh minute. Her shot was deflected onto the post by Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Hannah Hampton, and subsequently rolled into the goal.
Macario’s entrance at halftime proved instrumental, as she showcased her sharpness and agility, leading to a penalty opportunity after being fouled by Olga Carmona. The Brazil-born striker confidently struck a right-footed shot into the top corner of the net in the 51st minute. Just five minutes later, Macario again stepped up to take a penalty, this time after Chelsea midfielder Wieke Kaptein’s flick resulted in another foul by Carmona, allowing her to replicate her earlier success.
Under the leadership of new coach Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea has maintained an impressive performance this season, winning all six matches in the group stage without a single loss. In the Women’s Super League, the team has achieved nine victories and one draw.
Another club that concluded group play with an unblemished 18 points was Lyon, the reigning champions with a record of eight titles. They secured their position with a 1-0 win against two-time champions Wolfsburg, thanks to a goal from Danielle van de Donk in the 81st minute. Both Lyon and Wolfsburg had already confirmed their place in the quarterfinals, with Lyon assured the top spot in Group A.
In other matches, Roma emerged victorious against Galatasaray with a 3-0 scoreline in another Group A fixture, while Twente also won their Group B match against Celtic with the same score. However, all four teams mentioned had already been eliminated from the tournament.