Blues start their Champions League quest with a 3-2 first gear win over Real Madrid

Chelsea v Real Madrid Picture by Paul Lagan

By Paul Lagan at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea 3 v Real Madrid 2

A win's a win I suppose and when it's the Champions League, you take what you can get, and a narrow 3-2 win over Real Madrid will have to do.

This was a sluggish Blues performance and only the clinical nature of the finishing was a positive.

Defensive frailties will have to ironed out if the Chelsea are going to finally nail this Holy Grail.

Strikes from Sjoeke Nusken, a penalty from Guro Reiten and a nice header from Mayra Ramirez gave head coach Sonia Bompastor her first win for Chelsea in Europe at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea took the lead on two minutes when, following excellent set up play by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, who raced up the left wing, cut a deft left-footed byline cross and Sjoeke Nusken was on the six-yard spot and headed the ball into the corner of the net.

Chelsea delayed the kick-off by five minutes to allow a change of personnel as goalkeeper Hannah Hampton pulled out feeling ill and was replaced by Zecira Musovic, which left them without a spare goalkeeper on the bench.

Madrid were not unduly fazed by the early setback and headers from corners saw Alba Redondo and Maria Mendez get to the ball first but they were unable to direct the ball onto the goal.

Chelsea struck gold on 26 minutes when a late lunge by Mendez on Nusken in the Madrid penalty area saw referee Ivana Martincic give a spot kick.

Up stepped Guro Reiten who plonked the ball powerfully to the right of Misa and into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

The Chelsea defence is still very much a work in progress and it came as no real surprise that sloppy play allowed live wire Redondo to snatch a goal on 39 minutes – slotting home a right-footer from close range.

Th4r were no changes by either side at half-time.

Chelsea needed the breather of a third goal, and it came on 53 minutes when a regulation right wing cross by Lauren James was met on the head by Mayra Ramirez who looped the ball over Misa.

Ramirez somehow headed over from close range on 65 minutes.

The overall performance by the Blues was pedestrian and an injection of pace was needed.

To that extent, Sonia Bompastor opted to bring on Japan's Maika Hamano, on 65 minutes for Wieke Kaptein and also up front replacing Ramirez with Aggie Beever-Jones, while Ashley Lawrence took the place of Sandy Balitmore.

Midfielder Oriane Jean-Francois came on, on 75 minutes for Rytting Kaneryd.

With seven minutes of the game remaining, the vulnerability of Chelsea's defence got the better of them. Millie Bright was pulled out of position the ball was crossed deep to the far post and substitute Linda Caicedo tucked home with the possible help of Hamano.

She was quickly followed by defender Maelys Mpome,

Teams: Chelsea: Musovic, Bright, Nusken, Ramirez James, Reiten, Bjorn, Balitmore, Kaptein, Rytting Kaneryd, Bronze

Subs: Lawrence, Perisset, Bartel, Hamano, Mpome, Jean-Francois, Beever-Jones

Real Madrid: Misa, Teresa, Olga, Weir, Redondo, Mendez, Garcia, Angeidal, Athenea, Lakrar, Leupolz

Subs: Chavas, Tellez, Oilane, Rocio, Antonia, Bruun, Camacho, Caicedo, Navarro, Feller

Referee: Ivana Martincic (Croatia)