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Chelsea have not lost a match before the Champions League knockout stages since 2021-22 At a glance Goalless opening 45 minutes as much-changed Chelsea frustrated Danique van Ginkel gives Twente unexpected lead in 63rd minute Sandy Baltimore rescues draw from penalty spot for Chelsea Sandy Baltimore scored a penalty as Chelsea came from behind to rescue a draw against Dutch champions Twente in their Women's Champions League opener. Sonia Bompastor's side put nine goals past their Dutch counterparts over two meetings in last season's group stage but, despite dominating proceedings at De Grolsch Veste, they found themselves trailing following Danique van Ginkel's 63rd-minute strike. However, the Blues, featuring seven changes from the side which drew 1-1 with Manchester United on Friday, hit back eight minutes later to avoid suffering their first defeat in all competitions since April. Chelsea were frustrated throughout the first half, failing to make their 68% possession pay and lacking quality in the final third. It was Twente who had the best chance to open the scoring in the 11th minute, Leonie Vliek opting to square the ball to Jaimy Ravensbergen instead of taking a shot after Chelsea were cut open at the back. After the break, Chelsea's Alyssa Thompson had a close-range strike ruled out for offside before Twente skipper Van Ginkel gave her side an unexpected lead, picking up the ball on the edge of the box and bending it around Millie Bright and into the top corner. However, their lead was short-lived, with Lynn Groenewegen's trip on Guro Reiten resulting in a penalty, which Baltimore buried into the bottom left corner to spare Chelsea's blushes. Van Ginkel scored for Twente in the third round of qualifying When Chelsea's teamsheet was released a little over an hour before kick-off, it was Livia Peng's inclusion in goal, in place of Hannah Hampton, which caught the eye. But following an underwhelming draw, all of the talk will be about Bompastor's attacking changes. Aggie Beever-Jones was the only midfield or forward player retained from Friday's match against Manchester United, with Oriane Jean-Francois, Maika Hamano, Sjoeke Nusken, Thompson, and Reiten coming into the XI. Catarina Macario's absence was enforced - the America international has an inflamed Achilles - but the other changes were a managerial choice: to rest players and give others game time. It's a luxury a team with Chelsea's quality squad depth can usually afford but, on this occasion, the changes resulted in a disjointed performance. There were bright sparks. Reiten was a nuisance down the left wing and made a number of darts into the box in the first half, when she was unlucky to find crosses sent in just over her head. Thompson's pace, meanwhile, caused frequent problems for Alieke Tuin and her overlapping play with defender Ellie Carpenter produced several positive moves down the right flank. But the statistics speak for themselves. Chelsea had 64% possession throughout the match - 78% in the final 15 minutes of the first half - and peppered Diede Lemey's goal with 20 shots. However, only six of those were on target and there was frequently no-one in the box to attack the crosses provided by Thompson and Carpenter. In short, they lacked awareness and a clinical touch in the final third. With their performance improving with the introduction of the substitutes, most notably Wieke Kaptein and Erin Cuthbert shortly before the hour mark, it was an opportunity missed for several players to stake their claim for a regular starting spot. As for the team and Bompastor, it was an opportunity missed to emulate Barcelona's commanding victory over Bayern Munich and begin their quest for a maiden title with a statement win. Chelsea return to Women's Super League action on Sunday when they host Tottenham (12: 00 BST) while their next Women's Champions League outing is a home fixture against Paris FC on 15 October (20: 00 BST). Twente are at home to Utrecht in the Eredivisie on 12 October before travelling to OH Leuven three days later for their second Champions League outing of the season. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Head here to get involved Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Last Updated 8th October 2025 at 21: 54 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Corina Dekker Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Manager: Sonia Bompastor Formation: 4 - 3 - 3 Manager: Corina Dekker Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Manager: Sonia Bompastor Formation: 4 - 3 - 3 UEFA Women's Champions League All competitions All competitions All competitions Attempt saved. Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner by Diede Lemey (Twente Women). Assisted by Maika Hamano. Foul by Ellie Carpenter (Chelsea Women). Jill Roord (Twente Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Oriane Jean-François (Chelsea Women). Lynn Groenewegen (Twente Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Guro Reiten (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Alyssa Thompson. Attempt saved. Sjoeke Nüsken (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner by Diede Lemey (Twente Women). Attempt missed. Maika Hamano (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Oriane Jean-François. Attempt missed. Sjoeke Nüsken (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Maika Hamano with a cross. Guro Reiten (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Danique van Ginkel (Twente Women). Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Leonie Vliek. Corner, Twente Women. Conceded by Ellie Carpenter. Attempt blocked. Sophie Proost (Twente Women) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jill Roord. Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea Women) hits the left post with a header from the centre of the box. Assisted by Oriane Jean-François with a cross following a corner. Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Anna Knol. Foul by Sjoeke Nüsken (Chelsea Women). Danique van Ginkel (Twente Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up. Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
