Wieke Kaptein’s early goal gave Chelsea a winning start to their Champions League campaign proper against Austria Vienna, but it was a far from comfortable evening for them. The mammoth financial gulf between the two teams was highlighted in the buildup by the Austrian broadcaster ORF, which reported: “Chelsea Women’s personnel costs alone for the 2024-25 season, at a cool €17m, were higher than those of the entire Austria club (€14.9m) – including the men’s department, by far the largest item.” Meanwhile, Uefa noted that the manager, Stefan Kenesei, has a full-time job in state pensions insurance. Ultimately, the gap in quality on the pitch looked far smaller than the finances suggested.
Aware of that possibility, Bompastor did not take any risks and made only three changes to the team that secured a 2-0 win against Birmingham on Saturday, despite Arsenal up next on Sunday at Stamford Bridge. It was a statement of intent from a team desperate to get their hands on the only club trophy to elude them and they were right to be cautious. As the Danish side HB Køge showed against Arsenal on Tuesday night, Champions League minnows can cause big problems.
I also think the coaches who are coaching those teams are good in terms of the tactical aspects. When they come into this game, they are really well prepared and they have a good game plan. So, nothing is easy.” A moment of magic from the Dutch midfielder Kaptein gave the host side the breathing space of an early lead 11 minutes in.
The 21-year-old was quickest to the loose ball after a slick sliding tackle from Katharina Schiechtl dispossessed Melvine Malard and she sent a rising strike in off the underside of the bar from 25 yards. Austria Vienna responded rather than folding, threatening until the final whistle while supported vocally by the small block of travelling fans who appreciated the efforts of the underdogs. Set pieces and the forward Modesta Uka were their best outlets.
Uka’s close control provided both an attacking threat and gave her teammates a reprieve from chasing. The threat from Uka had been evident in the Austrian side’s qualifying campaign. The Kosovan scored in their 3-2 win against Hajduk Split and scored another two in their 5-0 victory against Farul Constanta in the second qualifying round, before grabbing a hat-trick in a 4-0 win against the Norwegian side Brann to overturn a 2-1 away defeat in the third round and secure their place in the league phase.
Just shy of the 70th minute there was another tense moment for the host side, when pressure from the ever-bright Uka forced Veerle Buurman into an error. Katie McCabe looked to have clipped the Austria Vienna player, who seemed to have beaten her to the ball, but a pause after the ball went out of play did not lead to an intervention from the video assistant referee. Frustrations boiled over a little at the close, when Almedina Sisic re‑entered the field without waiting a minute after receiving some treatment, with Bompastor forced to hold back her enraged assistant, Camille Abily, before giving the fourth official a piece of her mind.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
