If Chelsea are on a “new journey” in the Women’s Champions League, it began in intermittent deluges of rain and in front of a sparse home crowd at Stamford Bridge. For Sonia Bompastor, bigger European nights lie ahead as the Blues began their latest bid for an elusive Champions League title with an entertaining 3-2 victory over Real Madrid that really deserved more of an atmosphere in southwest London.

Hampton; Bronze, Bright, Björn, Baltimore; Kaptein, Nüsken; James, Rytting Kaneryd, Ramírez, Reiten. Subs: Musovic, Lawrence, Périsset, Mpomé, Bartel, Jean François, Hamano, Beever-Jones. Real Madrid XI (4-3-3): Misa;