Catarina Macario scored two penalties in the space of five second-half minutes to lead Chelsea to a 2-1 comeback victory over Real Madrid in the Women’s Champions League on Tuesday, confirming their status as group winners.
Introduced at half-time with her side trailing to Caroline Weir’s early opener for the hosts, 25-year-old Macario showed composure to convert twice from the penalty spot and send Chelsea six points clear of their opponents on the final matchday of Group B.
Weir’s dinked finish in the seventh minute had Real on course to progress to the quarter-finals as group winners on overall goal difference.
If the match had ended 1-0 to Real, both they and Chelsea would have won their respective home matches by a one-goal margin — the Blues beat the Spaniards 3-2 in October — and with the aggregate score tied at 3-3, the group would have been decided on goal difference across the entire stage.
However, it did not come down to such fine margins. Macario levelled six minutes after coming onto the pitch and then completed the comeback in the 56th minute.
Real captain Olga Carmona — the player who scored the winner in the 2023 World Cup final for Spain against England — was responsible for Chelsea’s route back into the game.
She brought down Macario to concede the first penalty, before later being penalised for handball in the box.
The result means Chelsea have now won their last nine group games in the Champions League, a streak dating back to last season.
In the group’s other match, Dutch side Twente condemned Celtic to a sixth defeat in six outings as they won 3-0 in Enschede.
Later, eight-time champions Lyon take on two-time winners Wolfsburg, with the French side already assured of top spot in Group A.
AFP
