Another year, Real Madrid will be among the 16 best teams in Europe. The Whites came back tonight against Sporting de Portugal at the Alfredo di Stéfano stadium to participate for the fourth consecutive season in the group stage of the Champions League. A double from Toletti, assisted on both occasions by a formidable Caroline Weir, and a goal at the buzzer from Alba Redondo came for Real to overcome Capeta’s early goal and continue with an immaculate streak this season with five wins in five games.
After winning the first leg 1-2 thanks to two mistakes by the rival goalkeeper in a match that left many doubts, the second leg began with more inaccuracies and with Capeta’s goal. The Portuguese forward pushed the ball into the net from a lateral foul in the fifth minute that tied the tie. The scare lasted only a moment for Real. Two minutes later, Toletti took a shot from inside the area to equalize the game and calm Madrid after errors in the ball’s release, especially by Oihane, replaced at half-time by Sheila García after also seeing yellow in the first half. .
Toletti’s goal was not only soothing for White to see themselves ahead on the scoreboard again, but in it they found the formula with which they began to box Sporting around their area: Feller’s runs behind Correia’s back. The French winger, with a very powerful stride, left his defender time and again and even created problems for her when she started at a clear disadvantage. That’s how the tying goal came. Lakrar put a long ball into space that seemed impossible for Feller to reach, but the attacker managed to challenge him and steal the ball from Correia, sneak into the area and find Weir. The Scottish playmaker showed her quality in small spaces by attracting three opponents with very precise driving and then assisting Toletti.
With Feller’s threat, very successful in one-on-one, and without errors in the release of the ball, Madrid gradually matured against Sporting, a team that tonight in Valdebebas left the feeling that it has a deficit in the construction of the game when it is forced to overcome the lines of a team positioned in its own field. Real stole time and again from the Portuguese ball, began to mix with Weir – supported by Toletti and Leupolz in the center of the field – and activated the connection on the left wing between Olga Carmona and Athenea del Castillo.
From that profile, Madrid’s second goal was born. The Spanish internationals combined until the ball reached Weir, who saw how Toletti made a break and leaked a ball to him with the first touch. The French midfielder controlled with her right and fired a sharp shot into the net to complete the comeback in the 51st minute.
With a two-goal advantage in the tie, Real controlled the remainder of the match without any problems and scored the third goal on a counterattack in added time. It was Alba Redondo’s debut as a white goal scorer. The woman from Albacete scored a goal into Seabert’s left corner to confirm Madrid’s presence in Europe for the fourth consecutive year. The Toril team, with the best squad in its brief history and an exciting start to the season, will already know this Friday in the Champions League draw who its three rivals are in the group stage, a round that until now it has only surpassed once. chance.
Real Madrid 3 – 1 Sporting Clube de Portugal
Madrid: Mass; Oihane (S. García, m. 46), Lakrar, M. Méndez, Carmona; Leupolz, Toletti (Abelleira, d. 87); Feller (Navarro, d. 56), Weir (Angeldal, d. 78), Athenea and Bruun (Redondo, d. 78).
Sporting: Seabert; Borges, Eaton-Collins, Pinto, Correia; Bravo (B. Pérez, d. 69), Niehues, Galabadaarachchi (Maisa, d.79), Neto; Capeta (Silva, d. 79), Raphino (Encarnacao, d. 59).
Goals: 0-1. M. 5. Capeta. 1-1. M. 7. Toletti. 2-1. M. 51. Toletti. 3-1. M. 95. Round.
Referee: S. Shukrula. He booked Oihane for Madrid, and Borges and Galabadaarachchi for Sporting.
