Chelsea vs Roma, pre-season preview: Back at Kingsmeadow

We’ve finally made it. Well, kind of considering its pre-season. For the first time since Guro Reiten, and Magdalena Eriksson gave Chelsea Women a 2-0 triumph in May, the west London outfit are back in the confines of Kingsmeadow. The six-time Women’s Super League champions will meet the defending Serie A winners, AS Roma. It will be the Blues’ first match against Italian opposition since their scoreless draw at home against Juventus in December 2021.

Alessandro Spugna’s team has acquired seven players following its historic 2022/2023 including most recently Canadian attacker Evelyne Viens. In Le Giallorosse’s first UEFA Women’s Champions League season they finished the group stage with the same amount of points as Arsenal. That campaign in Europe included a gritty 1-1 draw against one of the eventual finalists, Wolfsburg, and a narrow 1-0 defeat to Barcelona in Italy.

Led by 29-year-old Italian striker Valentina Giacinti, and last season’s Serie A MVP Emilie Haavi, the side from the Italian capital will provide a quality test ahead of Tottenham. Even with the loss of Brazilian Andressa to National Women’s Soccer League side Houston Dash, Roma has all the tools to take a step forward.

The 24-year-old forward Sophie Roman Haug just had a hat trick at the World Cup for Norway in Group A play against the Philippines. One of the most intriguing stories about this upcoming Italian outfit is Zara Kramzar, the 17-year-old Slovenian attacker.

Kramzar has drawn comparisons to Canadian legend Christine Sinclair, becoming the first player born in 2006 to step between the lines in Serie A. Fans of European football should keep an eye on her throughout the course of this season. Her impact at such a young age last season was undeniable.

Like fans on the men’s side watched last summer, a quality pre-season does a lot to effect performance during meaningful matches. As much as this is a challenge for the Italian club, the Blues will compete against Champions League opposition for the second consecutive pre-season. It won’t be perfect. The lineup may not be what we see against Spurs, but that does not mean a quality display against a top-tier opponent before the season doesn’t matter.

It may not count, but it is at least a chance to see Emma Hayes’ side out on the pitch after an eventful summer in the transfer window. With the official departure of Emma Thompson to Southampton in the Championship, the Blues lost three players permanently.

The lineup should include more non-World Cup players considering the amount of Chelsea Women stars that had a long summer

If you count Belgian goalkeeper Nicky Evrard’s move to west London which was confirmed in March, Hayes has brought in eight new players. Two of which will go out on loan for further development. Given the kick-off to the campaign is still weeks away, there is still for more movement to occur. The Women’s Super League transfer window closes on September 14. One of the four goalkeepers on the senior team is more than likely to join a growing loan army. 

Trying to guess the starter at Kingsmeadow on Sunday is essentially a coin flip. Hayes brought on eight players off the bench in the International Champions Cup semifinal against the French powerhouse, Lyon. As pre-season games go, that theme should remain the same.

A lot of eyes should be on Mia Fishel, and Sjoeke Nüsken, two new young transfer additions that have the ability to be pieces of the club’s future. It is about finding, and building those relationships that will ultimately translate to success going forward. Doing it against European competition no doubt helps. Sam Kerr, and Millie Bright may not be out there, but this contest will be a good temperature check for the entire team heading to Portugal after for pre-season training.

Information for Roma, Women’s Super League and UEFA Women’s Champions League tickets can be found on Chelsea FC’s website.