Macario not bothered who Chelsea get in Champions League quarter-final after Real Madrid win

Catarina Macario said that she is not bothered who Chelsea get in the quarter-final of the Champions League after she came off the bench to score a match-winning brace of penalties against Real Madrid.

That result secured top spot in Group B for Chelsea, who qualify for the next round with a perfect record. The victory was a 16th in 17 unbeaten matches in all competitions for Sonia Bompastor since taking over from Emma Hayes in the summer.

Chelsea had to come from behind to win the match after Scotland international Caroline Weir had put Real Madrid a goal ahead in the first half. But Spaniard Macario was pleased with the impact she had, having acknowledged that Real Madrid had enjoyed the better of the opening period.

“I went out knowing what I had to do. I wanted to have a positive impact and give my all, to give my team more options and bring energy,” said Macario.

“In the first half Real Madrid had a great performance. We needed to have more possession and I was prepared to change that. Looking ahead to the draw, it doesn’t matter who comes. We are confident in our abilities.”

WE TOP OUR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP! #UWCL pic.twitter.com/MMPdY9FVsK

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) December 17, 2024

Macario’s thoughts on Chelsea’s first-half performance were echoed by coach Bompastor, who was disappointed with it. But the French coach was pleased that she was able to rally her players at half-time.

“We were not very happy with our performance in the first half,” said Bompastor. “We all sat down together at half-time and told ourselves we had nothing to lose.

“We have a strong mentality, and that’s important to win games. Macario is a world-class player; she changed the game. She showed a lot of confidence by scoring those two penalties.”