Chelsea 1-0 Austria Wien: Bompastor's side survive scare in Women's Champions League opener

Chelsea began their Women's Champions League campaign with a nervy win as Wieke Kaptein's first-half stunner sealed a 1-0 victory over tournament debutants Austria Wien. 

The Blues looked far from the team that reached the quarter-finals of the competition in 2025-26, but a moment of individual quality was enough to get them over the line. 

Chelsea needed just 11 minutes to take the lead through Kaptein. Katharina Schiechtl's tackle on Melvine Malard saw the ball drop kindly to the midfielder, who took a touch before crashing her shot in off the crossbar from the edge of the box. 

Sonia Bompastor was forced into making an early change as Keira Walsh left the field with an injury, but the Blues continued where they left off in their search for a second. 

The lively Alyssa Thompson drilled a shot just wide of the left post following a driving run down the right, but Wien had their chances to level things up going into the break. 

Virginia Kirchberger could only turn over after Modesta Uka's wicked delivery was spilled by Livia Peng before Louise Schoffel's effort whistled past the bottom-left corner. 

Wien grew in confidence as the second half wore on as Uka's shot on the swivel was repelled by Peng, with the Chelsea goalkeeper then on hand to thwart Valentina Potzl after Veerle Buurman had played herself into trouble. 

The visitors continued to get closer and closer to levelling things up, with Uka chopping inside before curling her attempt onto the post, but Wien were unable to find the equaliser their performance merited in the closing stages. 

Chelsea ride their luck

Ahead of kick-off, Bompastor stressed the need for her Chelsea team to be more clinical, having stumbled to a 2-0 victory against Birmingham City in the Women's Super League last weekend, and once again her team looked vulnerable at both ends of the pitch. 

In what was a historic match for Wien, becoming the fourth Austrian side to participate in the competition after Neulengbach, St. Polten and Sturm Graz, they announced their arrival on the European stage in some style, and were extremely unlucky not to leave with at least a point. 

Uka was the particular standout for the visitors. She finished with team-high totals for shots (five), touches in the opposition box (seven), crosses (six) and attempted dribbles (three), while also coming within inches of scoring an equaliser in the second half. 

The Blues were, however, able to hold on to begin their campaign with a win. They finished with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.43 from their 13 attempts compared to Wien's 0.87 from two more shots at Peng's net. 

Bompastor will be hoping for improvements in the WSL this weekend, but things do not get any easier, with London rivals and two-time Champions League winners Arsenal their next opponents this Sunday. 

Elsewhere, there was no such trouble for last year's runners-up Lyon, who thumped Servette 8-0, with Marie-Antoinette Katoto scoring a hat-trick at Stade de Geneve. 

Defending champions Barcelona also got their campaign up and running with a win. They came from a goal down to beat Paris FC 5-2, with Caroline Graham Hansen and Ewa Pajor starring in the turnaround. Roma, meanwhile, played out a 0-0 draw with OH Leuven.