Chelsea were held to a hard-fought draw by FC Twente in a tense encounter that swung from dominance to defiance at De Grolsch Veste. The Blues, who controlled large parts of the game, were left frustrated after Van Ginkel’s stunning strike gave the Dutch visitors a shock lead before Baltimore’s penalty restored parity. Despite late pressure and fresh attacking options from coach Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea couldn’t find the winner against a resilient Twente side who defended bravely until the final whistle. Read our full Women’s Champions League match FC Twente vs. Chelsea report here.
Match Highlights
- FC Twente opened the scoring through Van Ginkel, assisted by Jill Roord.
- Sandy Baltimore levelled in the second half from the spot.
Searching for the Opener
Chelsea took control in the opening five minutes, dominating possession and creating several early chances. Guro Reiten looked lively down the wing, while a header from Beever-Jones narrowly missed the target.
FC Twente gradually settled into the game, and their first real threat came when Proost broke forward into the Chelsea box. Her powerful effort was blocked well by Carpenter, who managed to deflect it wide.
The Dutch side began to grow in confidence, producing a flowing attacking move through Vliek, who combined beautifully in a one-two before trying to square the ball to Ravensbergen. However, the Chelsea defence reacted quickly to clear the danger.
Chelsea responded with pressure of their own. Jean Francois intercepted a misplaced pass in FC Twente’s defensive third and played in Maika Hamano, who found herself unmarked in the box, but her shot flew over the crossbar.
Momentum swung back to the Blues as Nüsken forced a strong save from the FC Twente goalkeeper, followed by a crucial defensive block at the near post to deny another chance. Chelsea continued to push for the opener, with Thompsson testing the keeper late in the half, but despite their dominance, the teams went into the break level at 0-0.
FC Twente take the lead
Chelsea picked up where they left off, and thought they had taken the lead when Alyssa Thompsson found the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside against Nüsken.
Bompastor made her first changes, introducing Kaptein and Cuthbert for Maika Hamano and Sjoeke Nüsken. Cuthbert immediately made an impact, producing a vital block to deny a thunderous strike from Van Ginkel.
Around the hour mark, Bompastor brought on fresh legs again, with Rytting Kaneryd replacing Thompsson as the score remained goalless.
FC Twente finally broke the deadlock through Van Ginkel. Jill Roord burst down the left wing, leaving Jean Francois behind before cutting the ball back to Van Ginkel on the edge of the box. She took a touch inside, curled her shot around Bright, and found the top corner with precision to make it 1-0 to the visitors.
Penalty to Chelsea
Their lead, however, was short-lived. Chelsea were awarded a penalty after both Cuthbert and Reiten were fouled in quick succession inside the area. Baltimore stepped up and, despite FC Twente’s goalkeeper having kept her side in the game with several crucial saves, the French international calmly converted to level the score at 1-1 with twenty minutes remaining.
Reiten and Baltimore then made way for Sam Kerr and Sarwie — the 16-year-old England youth international making her mark on the senior stage.
Chelsea turned up the pressure in the closing stages, but FC Twente’s defence held firm under intense pressure. In the final minutes, Andradóttir replaced Ravensbergen as the Dutch side looked to see out the draw.
After a tense finish, the match ended level — a fair reflection of a competitive contest where Chelsea dominated large spells, but FC Twente showed resilience and quality to earn a well-deserved result.
How to watch the Women’s Champions League?
If you’re considering to use a VPN service: We recommend NordVPN, it isn’t free, but it’s safe and cheaper than juggling multiple subscriptions that may still only cover part of the schedule.
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