Chelsea are on the verge of securing qualification for the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-finals following a 2-0 victory against Real Madrid at Kingsmeadow this evening.
Sophie Ingle and Erin Cuthbert got the goals for The Blues as they moved five points clear at the top of their group with just three games left to play.
Chelsea came flying out of the traps and Sam Kerr played in Fran Kirby but her early effort was pushed to safety by visiting keeper Misa Rodriguez.
Niamh Charles then saw a mis-hit cross almost sneak into the Real Madrid net but that was as close as Chelsea would go to scoring in a keenly-contested but tight first half.
Real Madrid threatened straight after the break with Esther Gonzalez seeing her shot deflected narrowly wide.
Good quality chances continued to be very much at a premium until the hosts broke the deadlock in the 67th minute. Millie Bright got her head on a Cuthbert corner and the ball found Ingle who powered her header home from six yards. The Blues then doubled their lead eight minutes later when a Cuthbert cross found the back of the net, the player will undoubtedly claim that she meant to shoot.
Charles twice went close in the closing stages after linking up well with Lauren James. The player first saw an effort cleared off the line before drilling a shot into the side-netting as the game ended 2-0.
The two sides will meet in the reverse fixture in Spain on Thursday 8 December with Chelsea looking to seal their place in the quarter-finals of this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League.
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