Twente salvaged a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in their Champions League opener on Wednesday, with Sandy baltimore converting a late penalty to rescue a point for the Blues.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes opted for a rotated squad, starting Livia Peng in goal instead of Hannah Hampton. Aggie Beever-Jones was the sole attacking player to retain her place from Friday’s match against Manchester United, with Oriane Jean-Francois, Maika Hamano, Sjoeke Nusken, Jessie Thompson, and Guro Reiten entering the starting XI.
Catarina Macario was unavailable due to an inflamed Achilles tendon, but Hayes confirmed the remaining changes were tactical, intended to rest key players and provide game time for others.
Despite Chelsea’s squad depth, the numerous changes contributed to a disjointed performance. Reiten proved a threat on the left wing,while Thompson’s pace caused problems for Twente’s Alieke Tuin,creating several opportunities with overlapping runs from defender Ellie Carpenter.
Chelsea dominated possession, finishing with 64% overall and 78% in the final 15 minutes of the first half, registering 20 shots on goal. However, only six shots were on target, often lacking support in the box to capitalize on crosses from Thompson and Carpenter.
The Blues ultimately lacked the necessary precision and awareness in the final third to break the deadlock.
The introduction of substitutes Wieke Kaptein and Erin Cuthbert shortly before the hour mark noticeably improved Chelsea’s performance, but the possibility to secure a starting position was missed by several players who began the match.
The draw represented a missed opportunity for Chelsea and Hayes to make a statement in their opening match of the Champions League campaign, falling short of replicating barcelona’s recent dominant win over Bayern Munich.
