Chelsea Women vs AS Roma Women | UEFA Women’s Champions League | Wednesday, 28 October 2026
Chelsea scored six against Roma the last time they met. Ten months later, the Italian champions are returning to London, and Sonia Bompastor’s side have just delivered another reminder of how quickly they can turn a difficult afternoon into a victory.
On Sunday, Chelsea trailed Crystal Palace at half-time. By full-time, they had won 3-1, Melvine Malard had scored twice, and Sandy Baltimore had dismantled a defensive structure that had frustrated the Blues for 45 minutes.
Three days later, Roma will arrive at Plough Lane for Matchday 3 of the 2026/27 UEFA Women’s Champions League, hoping to avoid another painful encounter with the London club.
The Italians have their own ambitions, an experienced midfield led by Manuela Giugliano, and an opportunity to prove that last December’s 6-0 defeat was not representative of the distance between the teams.
There is also an intriguing reunion waiting for Giulia Dragoni, the Italian international who previously represented Roma in Europe and is now part of Chelsea’s squad.
Chelsea Women vs Roma Women: Match Information
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Fixture | Chelsea Women vs AS Roma Women |
| Competition | UEFA Women’s Champions League |
| Date | Wednesday, 28 October 2026 |
| Kick-off | 5:45pm GMT |
| Stadium | Plough Lane, London |
| Chelsea Manager | Sonia Bompastor |
| Roma Manager | Gianpiero Piovani |
| UK Broadcast | Disney+ |
| Previous Meeting | Chelsea 6-0 Roma (10 December 2025) |
Chelsea vs Roma Prediction: Can the Blues Deliver Another Convincing Victory?
Chelsea’s ability to overwhelm opponents through possession, individual quality and attacking substitutions makes them strong favourites.
The Blues have not lost a Women’s Champions League group or league-phase match since December 2021, and they have never conceded at home against Italian opposition in UEFA women’s competition.
Roma, meanwhile, have struggled to reproduce their domestic success against Europe’s strongest clubs.
Their opening two league-phase fixtures this season produced a goalless draw against OH Leuven and a 6-0 home defeat to Barcelona.
There is an obvious temptation to predict another six-goal Chelsea victory, particularly after last December. However, the Palace match showed that Bompastor’s team can struggle against compact defensive opponents before finding solutions.
Roma could adopt a similarly cautious approach, restricting central spaces and attempting to frustrate Chelsea’s attacking players.
The question is whether they can sustain that resistance for 90 minutes.
Chelsea’s squad depth, Malard’s finishing and Baltimore’s ability to beat defenders individually should eventually create enough openings for a comfortable home victory.
Crystal Palace 1-3 Chelsea: Malard and Baltimore Turn the Match Around
Chelsea’s final domestic assignment before facing Roma was considerably more difficult than the scoreline suggested.
At the 360 Engage Stadium in Sutton, newly promoted Crystal Palace threatened to produce one of the biggest surprises of the Women’s Super League season.
Jo Potter’s side defended with discipline, contested every loose ball and made excellent use of the difficult weather conditions.
Chelsea dominated possession, but their early attacking pressure produced frustration rather than goals.
Then, in the 20th minute, Palace captain Molly Bartrip struck.
Fuka Tsunoda delivered a dangerous set-piece, and Bartrip converted to score Palace’s first-ever WSL goal against Chelsea.
It was also the defender’s first goal in four years.
For the first time this season, Chelsea went into half-time trailing.
Bompastor had a problem to solve, and Palace had 45 minutes to protect an extraordinary result.
The Chelsea manager introduced Erin Cuthbert and Sandy Baltimore at the interval, adding greater intensity, creativity and directness to her team’s attacking play.
Five minutes after the restart, Malard provided the breakthrough.
Having previously missed a close-range opportunity, the French forward collected possession and unleashed a spectacular effort from approximately 25 yards.
The ball flew beyond Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, and Palace’s advantage disappeared.
Malard later explained that Chelsea’s half-time message had been to wake up and improve their performance.
She certainly followed that instruction.
In the 75th minute, Baltimore produced the decisive piece of attacking quality.
The winger advanced down Chelsea’s left, beat three Palace defenders and delivered for Malard, who headed home her second goal.
A marginal offside decision subsequently denied Malard a hat-trick, but her contribution was not finished.
She won a late penalty, which Baltimore converted in the 90th minute to complete Chelsea’s 3-1 victory.
Chelsea had 26 shots and 13 corners, yet required a significant second-half improvement to turn their dominance into goals.
That is precisely why the match provides such useful preparation for Roma.
If the Italian champions defend deep, restrict passing lanes and force Chelsea into repeated attacks against an organised defensive line, Bompastor has already seen how important Baltimore’s individual creativity can become.
Melvine Malard: Chelsea’s New Attacking Weapon
Melvine Malard’s performance against Crystal Palace could hardly have arrived at a better time.
The French international scored twice, won a penalty and earned an 8.7 WhoScored rating, the highest of the match.
Her first goal demonstrated the confidence to shoot from distance when Chelsea’s attempts to work the ball into the penalty area were failing.
Her second demonstrated something entirely different.
Rather than manufacturing an opportunity herself, Malard recognised Baltimore’s movement, attacked the delivery and finished with a header.
Those contrasting goals illustrate why she can be so difficult to defend against.
She does not require every chance to be created in the same way.
For Roma, that presents a particular problem.
Even if the Italians successfully congest the penalty area, Malard has shown she can threaten from outside it.
And if Roma’s defenders are drawn towards Chelsea’s wide players, she can exploit the space they leave behind.
Did Melvine Malard transfer to Chelsea?
Yes. Malard joined Chelsea permanently from Manchester United, having previously played for Lyon.
Her move added another experienced French international to Bompastor’s attacking options.
Against Palace, she demonstrated why Chelsea wanted her.
The performance was not simply about scoring twice. It was about responding to a disappointing first half and becoming increasingly influential as the match developed.
Roma will need to prevent her from finding the same rhythm.
Sandy Baltimore: The Player Roma Cannot Afford to Ignore
Although Malard received the headlines against Palace, Sandy Baltimore was arguably responsible for changing the tactical direction of the match.
Chelsea already controlled possession before her introduction.
What they lacked was the ability to consistently turn that possession into dangerous opportunities.
Baltimore changed that.
Her willingness to attack defenders directly forced Palace to make decisions they had previously avoided.
Should a defender step forward and risk being beaten? Should another move across to provide cover, potentially leaving space elsewhere?
Baltimore repeatedly created those dilemmas.
Her assist for Malard’s second goal was the clearest example, combining individual dribbling with an accurate final delivery.
She finished the match with a goal, an assist and four key dribbles, earning an 8.5 rating despite only playing the second half.
Bompastor subsequently highlighted Baltimore’s ability to beat opponents one-on-one and deliver dangerous crosses against teams defending in a low block.
It is an important tactical consideration for Roma.
Is AS Roma Women a Strong Team?
Yes, particularly in Italian domestic football.
Roma have established themselves among Italy’s leading women’s clubs, winning three Serie A titles in four seasons and qualifying for the Women’s Champions League group or league phase for five consecutive campaigns.
Their first appearance in 2022/23 produced a quarter-final run, demonstrating that the club can compete beyond its domestic competition.
However, the distinction between being successful in Italy and consistently challenging Europe’s elite remains significant.
Roma finished 14th in last season’s Champions League league phase, recording one victory, one draw and four defeats.
This season, their European campaign began with a 0-0 draw away to OH Leuven before Barcelona delivered a 6-0 defeat in Rome.
Those results underline the difficulty of competing against teams with the attacking resources of Barcelona and Chelsea.
Roma have won only two of their previous 12 Women’s Champions League group or league-phase matches.
They are also without a victory in their last six away fixtures at this stage.
Nevertheless, dismissing them as weak would ignore their sustained domestic achievements.
Roma have the organisation, experience and technical ability to trouble opponents when they can establish control in midfield.
Against Chelsea, the challenge will be finding enough possession to demonstrate those qualities.
Manuela Giugliano Stats: Roma’s Midfield Leader
Manuela Giugliano is one of the most important players in Roma’s squad.
The Italian international wears Roma’s number 10 jersey and provides creativity, technical quality and experience in central midfield.
At 29, she is approaching another significant milestone in European competition.
One further appearance would make Giugliano the first player to reach 40 UEFA Women’s Champions League or Women’s Cup appearances for Roma.
It would be a fitting achievement for a footballer who has become central to the club’s modern success.
Manuela Giugliano: Key Statistics
Giugliano’s value cannot be measured solely through goals and assists.
Her responsibility is to help Roma retain possession, connect midfield with attack and create opportunities for teammates.
Against Chelsea, those tasks become particularly demanding.
Bompastor’s side can press aggressively after losing possession, limiting the time available for opposing midfielders to assess their passing options.
Giugliano will need to find spaces between Chelsea’s pressing players and move the ball efficiently if Roma are to establish meaningful attacking possession.
If Chelsea dominate midfield as they did against Palace, Giugliano could spend much of the match attempting to relieve pressure rather than dictate play.
Her individual performance may therefore be one of the clearest indicators of Roma’s ability to compete.
Giulia Dragoni Stats: An Italian Reunion in London
One of the fixture’s most interesting individual stories concerns Chelsea midfielder Giulia Dragoni.
The 19-year-old Italian international previously represented Roma in the Women’s Champions League before joining Chelsea’s squad.
Across her European appearances for Roma during the 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns, Dragoni scored four goals in 12 matches.
Those figures provide a glimpse of the attacking potential that has made her one of Italy’s notable young midfield talents.
She would not be the first Italian footballer associated with Chelsea.
Gianfranco Zola and Roberto Di Matteo remain two of the most recognisable Italian names in the club’s men’s football history, although Dragoni is building her own story within Chelsea’s women’s team.
A meeting with Roma offers a particularly personal chapter.
Whether she starts or appears from the bench, Dragoni’s knowledge of Italian football and previous experience with Roma adds another layer to an already intriguing European fixture.
Chelsea vs Roma Head-to-Head Record
Chelsea and Roma have met just once previously in UEFA women’s competition.
That meeting took place at Stamford Bridge on 10 December 2025 and ended in a comprehensive 6-0 Chelsea victory.
Chelsea’s scorers included Wieke Kaptein, Sjoeke Nüsken, Maika Hamano and Lucy Bronze, while Valentina Bergamaschi’s own goal also contributed to the scoreline.
Chelsea vs Roma Team News and Predicted Lineups
Chelsea’s victory over Crystal Palace provided Bompastor with several encouraging selection options.
Malard’s two goals strengthened her case for another starting appearance, while Baltimore’s second-half performance demonstrated her value against compact defensive opponents.
Cuthbert also returned to action, and Dragoni and Manaka Matsukubo gained late minutes.
The latter made her official Chelsea debut following her recovery from injury.
Bompastor must now balance the importance of European points against the physical demands of another fixture just three days after the Palace match.
Chelsea’s available options include Lucy Bronze, Ellie Carpenter, Keira Walsh, Sjoeke Nüsken, Lauren James and Alyssa Thompson.
For Roma, Giugliano, Giada Greggi and Martina Piemonte are among the experienced players available to Piovani.
Chelsea vs Roma: Three Tactical Battles to Watch
1. Sandy Baltimore against Roma’s right flank
Baltimore’s performance against Palace demonstrated how effectively she can destabilise a deep defensive line.
Roma must decide whether to double up against her or trust their wide defenders in individual situations.
Neither option is entirely comfortable.
2. Manuela Giugliano against Chelsea’s midfield pressure
Roma need Giugliano to receive possession in useful areas rather than being forced backwards.
Chelsea’s midfielders will attempt to prevent her from controlling the tempo.
If Giugliano is consistently isolated, Roma may struggle to create sustained attacking pressure.
3. Melvine Malard against Roma’s central defenders
Malard enters the fixture following an excellent individual performance.
Her movement inside the penalty area, willingness to shoot from distance and ability to finish crosses give Chelsea several attacking routes.
Roma cannot afford to concentrate exclusively on Chelsea’s wide players.
Where to Watch Chelsea Women vs Roma Women in the UK
Chelsea Women host Roma on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 5:45pm GMT.
The match takes place at AFC Wimbledon Stadium, also known as Plough Lane, rather than Stamford Bridge.
UK viewers can watch the Women’s Champions League fixture on Disney+, subject to the relevant subscription.
