3 Takeaways from Chelsea Women’s triumph over Real Madrid
With a hiatus ahead of Chelsea’s next fixture away at Leicester City, Emma Hayes and the Chelsea Women put together a performance defined by composure, defeating Real Madrid 2-0 at Kingsmeadow.
Through a powerful Sophie Ingle header and some Erin Cuthbert magic in the second half, the Blues brushed Los Blancos aside, creating a five-point gap between them and the rest of the pack in Group A. In three matches in the Champions League, CFC has collected 11 goals while shutting out each opponent, and allowing just four total shots on its net in the process.
Over the last seven contests, opponents have managed to score just two goals as the defense continues to move in the right direction following a shaky beginning of the season. During this time last year in the Champions League, Chelsea allowed four goals through three matches, drawing Wolfsburg at three apiece, and skating by Juventus by a goal on the road.
After the result, Emma Hayes reflected on the opposition, and what this means going forward:
"“I felt that it was a top European game with a Real Madrid team very narrow in their defending, and very organized. They made it difficult for us to play between them, but I thought we struggled in the final third with our execution, and decision-making. The second half was a different story, we worked the right opportunities at the right time. There was a maturity in the performance in the second half that pleased me.”"
Whether it is the addition of the stability of Kadeisha Buchanan as the right centerback or the growth of Cuthbert or the emergence of Lauren James, the Blues are miles ahead of where they were last season. Just five games are left before the winter break including two Champions League matches, but with the triumph over Real Madrid, the distance that Chelsea has created should more than guarantee it a spot in the quarterfinals. Six different players created two or more shot-creating actions compared to the three for Los Blancos.
It is not just the goals that the Blues are putting away, it is in the ways that they are doing it. Last season, Chelsea scored just seven goals from corners in 39 competitive matches, but following Ingle’s thumping header, the Blues have now accumulated a total of eight in 11 matches. Through 90 minutes, Cuthbert was the workhorse for CFC, battling in the middle of the pitch against Caroline Weir, and continuously finding herself getting up after being tackled into the ground.
The Scottish international demonstrated sheer grit on Wednesday night, touching the ball the most for the Blues on top of completing four tackles, good for second-most on the team. Her goal may have been a little bit lucky, but for the second straight game, and the third time this season, Cuthbert has found the back of the net from outside the box. Cuthbert earned that goal with the performance she put out against a compact Real Madrid side seeking to head out of Kingsmeadow with one point. With the Blues now secure at the top of Group A, here are the takeaways from yet another memorable European encounter at Kingsmeadow: