Chelsea was disappointed in their opening UEFA Women’s Champions League match against Real Madrid as the Blues due to a contentious penalty call and a goal that was disallowed.
World Cup champion OIga Carmona gave Real Madrid the lead in the tenth minute when her long-range shot deflected off Chelsea defender Millie Bright in a terrible way, sending Chelsea’s German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger the wrong way and into the net.
Niamh Charles, unmarked at the back post, headed in Ashley Lawrence’s curling cross to give the visitors a well-earned equalizer just before the interval.
Sam Kerr headed home Charles’s looping cross to give Chelsea the lead and complete the comeback in the 75th minute.
However, Jessie Fleming was found to have fouled Athenea del Castillo in the penalty area by Danish referee Frida Klarlund, leading to a penalty kick for Las Blancas two minutes later.
Replays revealed Fleming had caught her opponent outside the box, but Carmona took the spot-kick and buried it into the upper corner as there was no video assistant referee.
Charles found the back of the net but the goal was promptly disqualified for offside, replays revealed that Charles had precisely timed her run.
Emma Hayes, who was confirmed the new head coach for the UWNT reacted after the game saying, “I can’t remember the last time we were in a game like that when two humongous decisions like that have gone against us.” “That is a lot tonight.”
