Catarina Macario converted two penalties within five second-half minutes to inspire Chelsea to a 2-1 comeback victory over Real Madrid in the Women’s Champions League on Tuesday, securing their place as Group B winners.
Introduced at half-time with Chelsea trailing 1-0 after Caroline Weir’s early strike for the hosts, the 25-year-old Macario displayed cool composure from the spot, propelling her team six points clear of Real Madrid on the group’s final matchday.
“We weren’t happy with our first-half performance,” said Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor. “At half-time, we sat down and reminded ourselves that we had nothing to lose. Our strong mentality was key to turning things around.”
Weir’s delicate finish in the seventh minute had temporarily positioned Real Madrid as group winners, courtesy of overall goal difference. A 1-0 win for the Spaniards would have left both sides tied on points and head-to-head aggregate, with the group ultimately decided by goal difference across all matches.
However, Macario’s introduction changed the game. She equalised just six minutes after entering the pitch and sealed the comeback in the 56th minute with her second spot-kick.
“Macario is a world-class player. She transformed the match and showed immense confidence with those penalties,” added Bompastor.
The decisive moments came courtesy of Real Madrid captain Olga Carmona, whose errors proved costly. Carmona fouled Macario to concede the first penalty and later handled the ball in the box to give Chelsea their winning opportunity.
The victory extends Chelsea’s winning streak in Champions League group games to nine, a run stretching back to last season.
Elsewhere in Group B
Dutch side Twente condemned Celtic to their sixth consecutive group-stage defeat, securing a 3-0 win in Enschede.
In Group A action later in the evening, eight-time champions Lyon faced two-time winners Wolfsburg, with the French side already confirmed as group winners.