Sonia Bompastor issues 'underdog' warning ahead of Chelsea's Champions League opener
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has warned against complacency as the Blues face debutants Austria Vienna in the Women's Champions League.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Ank kumar
Chelsea Women begin their continental campaign this Wednesday by hosting Austria Vienna at the Cherry Red Records Stadium. The Blues qualified for the group stage after an emphatic 6-2 aggregate victory over Real Sociedad in the third qualifying round.
Ahead of the fixture against the tournament debutants, manager Sonia Bompastor has warned her squad against complacency. While the opposition are new to this stage, they successfully eliminated Norwegian side Brann during qualification.
They were able to finish first in their league, St Polten has been the historical champion. They were also able to eliminate Brann, who was a really good team in this Champions League. We need to be prepared to face a strong team in terms of the physical aspects but also a team who is ready in terms of the tactical aspects. Sonia Bompastor
Bompastor noted that the visitors arrive with no pressure, serving as the underdogs with nothing to lose. The French coach expressed confidence in her side's quality but maintained that they must perform at the right level of focus to secure the three points.
Chelsea will be without Lauren James for the opener. The attacker picked up a minor knock in training, and the club is taking a precautionary approach to ensure she is fully fit for the weekend's crucial Women's Super League clash against London rivals Arsenal.