Overview
- Chelsea completed the two-leg tie with Real Sociedad by winning 1-0 away to finish 6-2 on aggregate and qualify for the UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase.
- The tie was effectively decided in the first leg at Plough Lane where Melvine Malard scored twice on her debut in a 5-2 win that gave Chelsea a commanding lead.
- Keira Walsh scored the only goal of the second leg with a long-range shot that beat goalkeeper Julia Arrula to close out the tie.
- Real Sociedad experienced a late managerial change in the days before the return match when Arturo Ruiz departed for Brighton, a disruption reported to have unsettled the squad.
- Chelsea’s confirmed starting lineup, the Croatian referee Ivana Martinčić, and free streaming on Chelsea’s official website and app were publicly announced before kickoff and the club now turns attention to upcoming domestic fixtures.