By OkayGoal
Chelsea’s unbeaten run to start its new season continued Wednesday with Sonya Bompastor’s squad earning a first three points in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Alyssa Thompson played the full 90 minutes on Wednesday as the Blues defeated Austria Vienna 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. The U.S. Women’s National Team attacker delivered a lively shift, registering two shots on target, completing six dribble attempts, and winning seven duels.
Wieke Kaptein’s 11th-minute goal was all Chelsea needed to earn the gritty win, staying perfect across all competitions this summer. Although Thompson did not find the back of the net, she was a lively performer for Chelsea, who will now have its toughest test yet of the new campaign.
“They were a good opponent, definitely physical,” Thompson said postmatch in a club interview. “But we got the win in the end. We wanted to start the campaign with three points. We didn’t do that last year, so we’re starting off better than we did.
“We had to play a little bit to their game at the end, but we won that battle, and we got the three points,” she added. “We were ready for the physical fight. It turned into that, and then we knew what game we had to play. We’re strong, and we know we can play different styles, so in the end we just had to fight it out.”
Chelsea will host Arsenal in a London Derby on Sunday, seeking to extend its unbeaten start. The Blues fell to the Gunners in last season’s UWCL quarterfinal stage and will have revenge on their mind.
Elsewhere, Lily Yohannes and Lyon rolled past Servette in UWCL play while Sam Coffey started in Manchester City’s comeback draw with Bayern Munich. Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, and Korbin Shrader all did not feature in their matches.
Here is a closer look at this week’s Americans Abroad:
Europe
UEFA Women’s Champions League
Lily Yohannes started, registered ONE ASSIST, and played 72 minutes in Lyon’s 8-0 win over Servette on Wednesday.
Korbin Shrader dressed but did not play for Lyon.
Sam Coffey started and played 63 minutes in Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
Emily Fox dressed but did not play in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over HB Koge on Tuesday.
Alyssa Thompson started and played 90 minutes in Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Austria Vienna on Wednesday.
Naomi Girma dressed but did not play for Chelsea.
England
Women’s League Cup
Phallon Tullis-Joyce dressed but did not play in Manchester United’s 10-1 win over Sheffield United on Wednesday.