Catarina Macario said she doesn't care who Chelsea gets in the Champions League quarter-final after coming off the bench to score a series of winning penalties against Real Madrid.
That result secured top spot in Group B for Chelsea, who qualify for the next round with a perfect record. The win was a 16th in 17 unbeaten matches in all competitions for Sonia Bompastor since taking over from Emma Hayes in the summer.
Chelsea had to come from behind to win the match after Scotland international Caroline Weir put Real Madrid ahead in the first half. But Spaniard Macario was happy with the impact she had after admitting Real Madrid had made the most of the opening period.
“I went out knowing what I had to do. I wanted to have a positive impact and give it my all, give my team more options and bring energy,” Macario said.
“In the first half, Real Madrid put in a great performance. We needed more ball possession and I was ready to change that. Looking ahead to the draw, it doesn't matter who comes. We are confident in our abilities.”
WE TOP OUR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP! #UWCL pic.twitter.com/MMPdY9FVsK
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) December 17, 2024
Macario's thoughts on Chelsea's first-half performance were echoed by coach Bompastor, who was disappointed with it. But the French coach was happy to gather her players at half-time.
“We were not very satisfied with our performance in the first half,” said Bompastor. “We all sat down together at halftime and told ourselves we had nothing to lose.
“We have a strong mentality, and that is important to win games. Macario is a world-class player; she changed the game. She showed a lot of confidence by scoring those two penalties.”
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