Sam Kerr marked her first Chelsea start in almost two years with a brace as the Blues cruised to a 6-0 victory over St. Pölten in the UEFA Women's Champions League. The Australian striker, whose last start for Chelsea was in December 2023, scored Chelsea's fourth and sixth goals in a dominant display at the NV Arena.
Chelsea's manager, Sonia Bompastor, made five changes to the team that drew with Arsenal, giving Kerr her first start since returning from a long layoff. The changes also included Naomi Girma replacing Millie Bright, Keira Walsh taking the captain's armband, and Livia Peng stepping in for the injured Hannah Hampton.
The Blues wasted no time asserting their dominance, with Wieke Kaptein opening the scoring in the 13th minute, converting a cross from Ellie Carpenter. Chelsea maintained relentless pressure, resulting in numerous attempts on goal. Catarina Macario extended Chelsea's lead just before halftime, placing a low shot into the bottom-right corner.
The second half saw Chelsea continue their attacking prowess. Seven minutes after the restart, Alyssa Thompson was fouled in the box, and Macario converted the resulting penalty, securing her second goal of the match. Kerr then got her first goal of the night in the 75th minute, receiving a pass inside the box, shifting the ball onto her right foot, and finishing with precision. Lauren James, making her first appearance since the Euros final in June, contributed to Chelsea's fifth goal when her shot deflected off St. Pölten's Lisa Ebert and into the net. Kerr completed the scoring in stoppage time, heading home a cross from Niamh Charles.
Chelsea's manager, Sonia Bompastor, was happy with her players becoming more clinical in the second half. The victory sees Chelsea move up to second in their Champions League group. St. Pölten, in contrast, struggled to create opportunities, with only one attempt on goal.
The win marked Chelsea's second victory in the Champions League campaign, following a confident win against Paris FC after an opening-day draw with FC Twente. The Blues have reached the semi-finals of the competition for the last three seasons. Chelsea's next challenge is a home game against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.
