Chelsea were losing at home to Real Sociedad after seven minutes and level again at 2-2 just before the hour. Then Melvine Malard came off the bench and the tie stopped being a contest. The France forward scored twice on her competitive Chelsea debut as the Blues won 5-2 in the first leg of the Women's Champions League third qualifying round.
An awkward start at Kingsmeadow
Ainhoa Marin curled a spectacular effort from range over Hannah Hampton in the seventh minute to put the visitors ahead. Sandy Baltimore nearly replied immediately and hit the underside of the bar. Chelsea eventually levelled on 29 minutes from a Katie McCabe corner, the goal ultimately credited to Naomi Girma after it was judged she had got the final touch.
Veerle Buurman put Chelsea in front nine minutes into the second half, turning in a Lauren James corner past Julia Arrula. The lead lasted four minutes. Cecilia Marcos struck into the far corner to make it 2-2, and at that point the Spanish side had every reason to think they could take something back to San Sebastian.
Malard changes the evening
Malard had replaced Aggie Beever-Jones ten minutes into the second half. On 67 minutes she rounded the goalkeeper and slotted home for 3-2. Lauren James tapped in a fourth on 74 after build-up play from Ellie Carpenter, and with two minutes left Malard met another pinpoint Carpenter cross for her second.
She joined from Manchester United in July. Two goals in her first competitive appearance is the kind of start that buys a new signing several months of goodwill, and Chelsea needed exactly the type of intervention she provided: a forward who could be trusted with the half-chances the starters had been wasting.
Bompastor watched from elsewhere
Assistant coach Camille Abily took charge for the night with Sonia Bompastor serving a suspension carried over from last season. Abily's substitution won the game, which is the kind of detail that gets mentioned once and then forgotten if the second leg goes to plan.
Chelsea travel to Spain with a three-goal aggregate cushion and one foot in the league phase. Real Sociedad conceded five and will need something close to a perfect night at home to overturn it.
Match facts: Chelsea 5-2 Real Sociedad, Women's Champions League third qualifying round first leg, Wednesday 26 August 2026. Scorers: Girma (29), Buurman (54), Malard (67, 88), James (74); Marin (7), Marcos (58) for Real Sociedad. Malard joined Chelsea from Manchester United in July 2026.
0 Comments