Chelsea Women secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad at the Instalaciones de Zubieta on Tuesday, progressing through the third qualifying round of the UEFA Women's Champions League. The match, played on 2 September 2026, produced a tense affair despite the one-goal margin between the sides. Keira Walsh's 54th-minute strike proved decisive, though Sociedad pushed hard to find an equaliser in the closing stages.
Chelsea camped in the final third for much of the contest, and their patience finally paid off when Walsh found space to fire past the keeper. And here's the thing — the goal came after sustained pressure rather than a moment of individual brilliance. Sociedad had already seen Laura Camino receive a yellow card in the 38th minute, a sign of the growing tension as Chelsea controlled possession.
The hosts attempted to respond after the break, with multiple substitutions around the 60th minute including Klara Cahynova and Claudia coming on. By then, Chelsea had already reshuffled their own ranks, bringing on Sandy Baltimore and Ellie Carpenter as they looked to close out the game. Claudia's yellow card in the 67th minute underscored how desperately Sociedad needed to find a way back into the match.
Chelsea's statistical dominance told the story of a team comfortable on the ball. They held 70 per cent possession compared to Sociedad's 30, and created two big chances against none for their opponents. The visitors registered five shots on target to Sociedad's two, though they also failed to capitalise on their superiority with a more convincing scoreline.
One goal and one clean sheet means Chelsea extend their unbeaten run in European competition, while Sociedad's campaign comes to an end after a difficult week. The result follows a 5-2 defeat to Chelsea in August, and the pattern of the match — possession, pressure, and a single decisive moment — mirrored that earlier encounter. Real Sociedad will now turn their attention to domestic duties, having shown they can compete with Europe's elite before falling short when it mattered most.
