LUCY Bronze reckons Chelsea have the talent to win the Champions League – but need to improve on their 3-2 victory over Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
In Sonia Bompastor’s first European game in charge, the Blues led 2-0 and 3-1 before conceding seven minutes from time.
Bronze, 32, won the Champions League three times with Lyon and twice with Barcelona – including last season – before joining Chelsea on a two-year deal in the summer.
The Blues beat Barcelona 1-0 in the first leg of their semi-final in 2023-24 before the Catalans won the second leg 2-0.
“We gave up goals easily. We were the better team on the night, we possessed the ball in spells really well and our goals were really well taken,” Bronze said. “But we should have put them to bed early on when we were 3-1 up in the second half.
“We were playing quite well so we could have scored another and not let them back into the game.
“In the Champions League, when you let a team back in, they can punish you.”
Bronze added: “Both playing for and against Chelsea, I know there is the talent and the competitiveness to win the Champions League.
“This team has beaten the best teams in Europe in Barcelona and Lyon, and I think this year we are going to have improved on last year.
“We are poised to push on, we need to improve a lot on tonight but we are in a good position and I think by the end of the season we will be in a really good place.”
When you begin the game with two goals, it’s good to keep that result. We conceded two goals where we maybe could have done better.
“We were a bit nervous about Madrid getting stronger. I would like us to manage the game better.”
Bompastor, who managed Lyon to the title in 2022, said: “When you begin the game with two goals, it’s good to keep that result. We conceded two goals where we maybe could have done better.
“We were a bit nervous about Madrid getting stronger. I would like us to manage the game better.”
Chelsea are at Arsenal this Saturday in the Women’s Super League. Kick-off is 1.45pm.
