Women´s Champions League roundup: Real Madrid snatch first leg lead

A late goal from Melanie Leupolz gave Real Madrid a 2-1 first-leg aggregate advantage over Sporting CP in their Champions League qualifier.

The away side took the lead after just 11 minutes as Athenea del Castillo capitalised on a poor mistake from Sporting keeper Hannah Seabert and slotted the ball into an empty net.

Despite Madrid’s dominance, they were pegged back on the stroke of half-time after a foul by keeper Misa Rodriguez in the box, with Andreia Bravo making no mistake from the spot.

Madrid continued to dominate in the second half, with Alba Redondo going close, but it looked as if Sporting would hang for a draw to take to Madrid next week.

But that was before Leupolz headed the ball into the net in injury-time after Olga Carmona’s cross could only be parried out.

#UWCL pic.twitter.com/QFM5qutJWG

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadridfem) September 19, 2024

Meanwhile, Galatasaray squandered a two-goal advantage to draw their home-leg encounter with Slavia Prague.

A second-half brace from Andrea Staskova looked to have given the Turkish side a healthy lead to take to the Czech Republic, but Slavia Prague responded late on, with Benan Altintas scoring an own goal 15 minutes from time, before Kristina Kosikova’s 98th minute equaliser.

St Polten, meanwhile, hold a healthy first leg lead after defeating Musa 3-0 at home.

The first half produced no goals, but the Austrian side showed their class in the second half, with Kamila Dubcova, Melike Pekel and Izabela Krizaj all getting on the scoresheet.