Chelsea Women cruised to a 6-0 victory over St Pölten in the Women’s Champions League, with Sam Kerr marking her first start in nearly two years with a brace. The dominant performance saw goals from Wieke Kaptein, Catarina Macario, an own goal from Lisa Ebert, and a second-half double from Kerr, moving Chelsea up to second place in their group.
The night belonged to Kerr, who had been sidelined for 692 days but showed no signs of rust. Her goals, both in the second half, capped a stellar performance as she gained momentum on her return. Also returning to the lineup were Naomi Girma, who had missed the start of the season due to a hamstring injury, and Lauren James, who made her comeback after an ankle injury in the Euro 2025 final.
The match was an opportunity for Chelsea to put their recent struggles behind them, as manager Sonia Bompastor had urged her side to avoid overthinking the game. The Blues dominated possession, creating 43 chances, 19 of which were on target. The first goal came in the 13th minute, with Kaptein finishing a low cross from Ellie Carpenter. Macario doubled the lead before the break, taking advantage of a turnover to score past St Pölten’s goalkeeper Carina Schlüter.
St Pölten, despite their struggles in the group phase, fought back with some attacking moments. However, Chelsea’s class showed through, particularly with Macario converting a penalty in the 53rd minute after a foul in the box. The hosts’ best chance came when Sarah Gutmann found space but failed to finish.
With the game effectively over, Chelsea added more goals. Kerr got her first of the night from close range, followed by Ebert’s own goal, before Kerr completed her brace in injury time. The victory was the perfect build-up for Chelsea as they prepare to face Barcelona at Stamford Bridge next week.
