Chelsea, Lyon and Roma Stay Perfect with Victories in Women's Champions League

Roma's Evelyne Viens, right, fights for the ball with Galatasaray's Berna Yeniceri during the women's Champions League group A soccer match between Galatasaray and Roma at Ataturk Olympic stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Huseyin Yavuz/Dia Photo via AP)
Roma's Evelyne Viens, right, fights for the ball with Galatasaray's Berna Yeniceri during the women's Champions League group A soccer match between Galatasaray and Roma at Ataturk Olympic stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Huseyin Yavuz/Dia Photo via AP)
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Chelsea, Lyon and Roma Stay Perfect with Victories in Women's Champions League

Roma's Evelyne Viens, right, fights for the ball with Galatasaray's Berna Yeniceri during the women's Champions League group A soccer match between Galatasaray and Roma at Ataturk Olympic stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Huseyin Yavuz/Dia Photo via AP)
Roma's Evelyne Viens, right, fights for the ball with Galatasaray's Berna Yeniceri during the women's Champions League group A soccer match between Galatasaray and Roma at Ataturk Olympic stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Huseyin Yavuz/Dia Photo via AP)

Chelsea, Lyon and Roma all stayed perfect in the Women’s Champions League by cruising to away victories on Thursday.
Roma routed Galatasaray at Istanbul 6-1, Chelsea beat Twente in the Netherlands 3-1 and eight-time champion Lyon won 2-0 at Wolfsburg.
Real Madrid claimed its first victory of the campaign by easing past Celtic 4-0, The Associated Press reported.
Roma and Lyon both have six points in Group A. Two-time champion Wolfsburg and Galatasaray, the first Turkish team to reach the group stage, have no points.
In Group B, Chelsea leads with six points, with Madrid and Twente on three and Celtic last bottom without a point.
Wolfsburg striker Alexandra Popp made her 100th competition appearance — becoming only the second player to reach the mark but it was Lyon defender Wendie Renard, the only one who has played more, who stole the show.
Renard’s header found the back of the net early on in her 118th game in the competition.
US international Lindsey Horan netted from the penalty spot in the second half.
Lyon is the competition’s record eight-time champion but last won the trophy in 2022. It was runner-up last season to Barcelona.
In a matchup between the Italian and Turkish champions, Roma dominated in Istanbul.
Summer signing Hawa Cissoko scored in the seventh minute to mark her debut game in the competition. The France defender who transferred from West Ham headed home off Manuela Giugliano's corner.
Valentina Giacinti made it 2-0 in the 24th minute when she was left unmarked near the spot to head in Verena Hanshaw's cross.
Giugliano failed to convert from the spot in the first-half stoppage time but Emilie Haavi got Roma's third with a right-footed blast past goalkeeper Gamze Yaman early in the second.
Giugliano finally found the back of the net from close range for a 4-0 lead before Andrea Staskova scored the consolation goal for the hosts. Roma substitutes Marta Pandini and Alice Corelli also scored.
Blues win again under Bompastor Chelsea struck early in another winning performance under new coach Sonia Bompastor, who joined from Lyon.
Agnes Beever-Jones put the Blues ahead with a long-distance deflected strike in the seventh minute and Maika Hamano made it 2-0 a short time later by lifting the ball over goalkeeper Olivia Clark from outside the area.
Substitute Guro Reiten added the third in the second from the spot just past the hour mark.
On Saturday, Chelsea beat city rival Arsenal 2-1 in the Women’s Super League.
Real Madrid scored three second-half goals in 11 minutes against Celtic in Group B.
The Spanish team had lost to Chelsea 3-2 in the first round and drew with Atlético 1-1 in the Madrid derby over the weekend.
Caroline Weir fired a long-range left-footer from outside the box into the far top corner in the seventh minute.
The visitors kept if close until the 72nd minute, when Signe Bruun headed home the second goal followed eight minutes later by Caroline Moller's lob of goalkeeper Kelsey Daugherty for a 3-0 lead. Linda Caicedo then converted from the penalty spot.
It's back-to-back losses for Scottish club Celtic, making its debut in the group stage. It has yet to score.



Ronaldo Frustrated as Scotland Hold Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo failed to shine in Portugal's 0-0 draw against Scotland - AFP
Cristiano Ronaldo failed to shine in Portugal's 0-0 draw against Scotland - AFP
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Ronaldo Frustrated as Scotland Hold Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo failed to shine in Portugal's 0-0 draw against Scotland - AFP
Cristiano Ronaldo failed to shine in Portugal's 0-0 draw against Scotland - AFP

Scotland frustrated Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in a 0-0 draw at Hampden on Tuesday to avoid losing five consecutive competitive games for the first time ever.

The home side needed a wonder save from Craig Gordon to deny Bruno Fernandes a winner in the closing stages, but held out to secure their first point in the top tier of the Nations League.

Portugal remain on top of Group A1 but were made to wait to book their place in March's quarter-finals.

On his 216th international appearance, Ronaldo made his 200th start for his country, more than 21 years on from his first.

However, the 39-year-old failed to add to his 133 Portugal goals and stormed off the field at full-time ranting at the officials, according to AFP.

Scotland have won just one of their last 16 games - a 2-0 friendly victory over Gibraltar in June - and remain without a victory in a competitive match for over a year.

But Steve Clarke's men battled hard to stop the rot in Glasgow.

Scotland even had the best chance of the first half inside the opening five minutes when Scott McTominay headed too close to Diogo Costa from point-blank range.

Portugal quickly took control of possession without creating clear-cut chances.

Francisco Conceicao spooned over early in the second period from Ronaldo's lay-off.

Ronaldo then fired inches wide after making himself room for a shot amid a flurry of desperate challenges from Scottish defenders.

But it was Fernandes who had the best chance to claim all three points when the Manchester United captain's powerful low strike was brilliantly parried by Gordon and collected at the second attempt by the 41-year-old goalkeeper.

Scotland are still on course for relegation from the top tier of the Nations League as they trail Poland, who drew 3-3 with Croatia, by three points with two games remaining.

Croatia sit second, three points behind the Portuguese, who they host next month.