Late goals turn a nervy tie in Chelsea’s favour
Chelsea conceded inside the opening ten minutes but finished the first leg of their third-round Champions League qualifier with a 5-2 win over Real Sociedad. Real Sociedad opened through Marín in the 7th minute and had Chelsea on the back foot for long periods. Girma levelled for the hosts before half-time, and a more assertive second half produced four further goals — Buurman, Marcos’s reply, and two from debutant Melvine Malard, plus a James strike — that left Chelsea with a three-goal cushion ahead of the return leg.
The scoreline will relieve a club temporarily led from the touchline by assistant coach Camille Abily while head coach Sonia Bompastor serves a suspension. Abily’s adjustments at half-time steadied Chelsea and allowed them to regain control after a sloppy start that invited pressure from Sociedad. The tie is far from over, but the Blues have turned a worried opening into a clear advantage to defend away from home next week.
First-half wobble and Sociedad’s early threat
Real Sociedad arrived in London with confidence and showed it immediately. Marín’s early strike in the 7th minute unsettled the home crowd and forced Chelsea to chase the game rather than dictate it. Sociedad’s approach in the opening half combined compact defending with quick transitions, and that pattern limited Chelsea’s usual fluency in possession.
Chelsea’s equaliser arrived through Girma in the 29th minute, but the Blues still looked erratic when out of possession. The home side’s midfield control wavered at times, allowing Sociedad to maintain pressure and create opportunities. That pressure paid off again shortly after the break when Marcos converted to reduce the deficit, keeping the tie open and ensuring the second half remained tense until Chelsea recalibrated its structure and tempo.
Malard’s debut changes the game
Melvine Malard, a new signing, made an immediate impact on her Chelsea debut. She scored twice — first to restore Chelsea’s lead and then to add the fifth — and her movement added a different dimension to the Blues’ attack. Malard’s first goal arrived as Chelsea began to press higher and turn possession into incisive forward moments. Her second came late, sealing the result and giving Chelsea a psychological boost ahead of the return fixture.
The timing of Malard’s goals mattered as much as the finishes themselves. Both strikes followed a period in which Chelsea had gradually improved their passing between lines, punished Sociedad’s high defensive line and forced the visitors to chase the match. The new signing’s presence will give Abily and Bompastor another option to change games, particularly in two-legged ties where away goals and momentum can be decisive.
Key performers and match moments
- Early spark: Marín’s seventh-minute goal set the tone and forced Chelsea to adapt quickly after conceding.
- Level-headed reaction: Girma’s equaliser calmed the home side and prevented the match from slipping further away before half-time.
- Second-half pivot: Buurman’s strike gave Chelsea the lead after Sociedad briefly regained the initiative with Marcos’s goal.
- New signing impact: Malard’s brace on debut changed the tie and offered fresh attacking options for the Blues.
- Finishing touch: James’s goal made the scoreline emphatic and reduced the incentives for Sociedad to chase an unlikely comeback late on.
What the result means for the tie and next steps
The 5-2 first-leg victory hands Chelsea a comfortable margin but not an unassailable one. Real Sociedad scored twice away, so Chelsea cannot afford complacency at the return fixture. The Blues will travel for the second leg with a three-goal cushion but also with clear reminders about defensive lapses and the need to control tempo from the first whistle.
Abily will lead preparations while Bompastor is suspended, and the coaching team will use this match as a template for where to tighten defensive transitions and how best to integrate Malard into the rotations. For Real Sociedad, the task is to halve the deficit at home to bring the tie back into doubt; for Chelsea, the priority is to protect their advantage and finish the job without repeating the early mistakes that allowed Sociedad to threaten a major upset.
The match was a third-round fixture in the Champions League qualifier and saw Chelsea produce the stronger finish.
