Chelsea too strong for Twente in Champions League

Chelsea maintained their 100% start to the season by beating Dutch side Twente to move three points clear at the top of Women’s Champions League Group B.

Aggie Beever-Jones gave the Blues a strong start in the Netherlands, scoring after seven minutes when she collected the ball from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and sent a deflected 25-yard strike into the net.

It was 2-0 after 18 minutes as Maika Hamano’s long-range lobbed effort caught Twente goalkeeper Olivia Clark off her line, with the Wales international unable to recover in time.

Guro Reiten scored Chelsea’s third with a calmly taken penalty after fellow substitute Mayra Ramirez was tripped by Twente’s Lieske Carleer.

The hosts pulled one back in the 68th minute when Nikee van Dijk raced on to a pass from Ella Peddemors and shot past Zecira Musovic, but it was not enough to deny the visitors.

Chelsea have never won this competition, losing in the 2021 final under Emma Hayes’ leadership.

They are enjoying a highly promising start to the current campaign after Sonia Bompastor replaced Hayes, who took charge of the United States’ women’s team in the summer.

Former Lyon boss Bompastor has now won all three of her Women’s Super League games and both Champions League fixtures.

With a home game against Tottenham on Sunday coming up in the WSL, Bompastor made seven changes to her side for midweek duty.

Chelsea came into this European trip on the back of a 2-1 win against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, which proved to be Jonas Eidevall’s last match as Gunners boss.

Bompastor, a Champions League winner as a player and manager with Lyon, made a late alteration as Lauren James, who was named in Chelsea’s original line-up, was replaced by Rytting Kaneryd.

England manager Sarina Wiegman was at the game and will have been hoping James’ issue is nothing serious with the Lionesses playing Germany and South Africa in friendlies later this month.

Wiegman will certainly have been pleased with striker Beever-Jones’ performance, as the 21-year-old posed a constant threat to the Twente defence. She almost scored for a second time but headed over when under pressure inside the six-yard box.

Chelsea won 3-2 against Real Madrid in their Champions League opener and this was more routine in the Netherlands, the Blues controlling the game well.

Bompastor’s team could have scored more, with Rytting Kaneryd failing to convert two chances and Hamano sending a shot narrowly wide.

Chelsea next play in the Champions League on 13 November when they go to Scotland to face bottom-of-the-group Celtic, who were beaten 4-0 by Real Madrid earlier on Thursday.

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