Pernille Harder scored a dramatic added-time equaliser against former club Wolfsburg to rescue a point for Chelsea in their Women’s Champions League Group A opener.
Sam Kerr had deservedly put the hosts in front with a superb lob.
But three awful defensive errors put the visitors in command, with Tabea Wassmuth scoring either side of Jill Roord’s driven effort.
Beth England’s close-range strike gave Chelsea hope before Harder levelled.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said: “We had dominance in most areas of the pitch and yet we are only walking away with a point.
“It’s important to remember that going forward the team is making progress. We carved them open at times but we can’t give gifts and we have to eliminate giving gifts to the opponent.”
In Wednesday’s other Group A fixture Juventus won 3-0 at Servette to take charge of the group.
Chelsea, who swept Wolfsburg aside 5-1 on aggregate en route to last season’s final, more than merited their early lead as they created several promising openings before Ji So-Yun’s weighted pass allowed Kerr to record her sixth goal in five games.
Blues boss Emma Hayes then watched her side contribute to each of Wolfsburg’s three goals.
German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was culpable for the first two, which came against the run of play.
The 30-year-old misread a bouncing ball to gift former Hoffenheim forward Wassmuth a tap-in and then played her compatriot Melanie Leupolz into trouble on the edge of her own box, allowing Roord to put the visitors ahead.
Jessica Carter’s poor back pass compounded matters as Wassmuth curled in her second just after the break but England immediately reduced the arrears after the ball broke to her following a corner.
Despite the introduction of Fran Kirby from the bench, Chelsea struggled to create clear-cut opportunities for an equaliser but eventually some late pressure told as Denmark forward Harder drove in her third goal in as many games against her former side.
Line-ups
Chelsea Women
Formation 3-4-3
- 30Berger
- 4Bright
- 7CarterSubstituted forIngleat 87′minutes
- 16Eriksson
- 22Cuthbert
- 10JiSubstituted forFlemingat 75′minutes
- 8Leupolz
- 11ReitenSubstituted forCharlesat 75′minutes
- 9EnglandSubstituted forKirbyat 64′minutes
- 20Kerr
- 23Harder
Substitutes
- 1Musovic
- 3Nouwen
- 5Ingle
- 14Kirby
- 17Fleming
- 18Mjelde
- 21Charles
- 24Spence
- 25Andersson
- 28Telford
- 29Fox
VfL Wolfsburg Ladies
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Schult
- 4Hendrich
- 24Wedemeyer
- 6Janssen
- 13Rauch
- 5OberdorfBooked at 79mins
- 8Lattwein
- 28WaßmuthBooked at 9minsSubstituted forKnaakat 79′minutes
- 10Huth
- 20WolterSubstituted forStarkeat 89′minutes
- 14RoordBooked at 38minsSubstituted forvan de Sandenat 70′minutes
Substitutes
- 9Blässe
- 12Kassen
- 16 Strength
- 18 Smits
- 19 Svava
- 22 van de Sanden
- 30 White
- 31 Cordes
- 33Knaak
Live Text
Match ends, Chelsea Women 3, VfL Wolfsburg Ladies 3.
Second Half ends, Chelsea Women 3, VfL Wolfsburg Ladies 3.
Foul by Pernille Harder (Chelsea Women).
Lena Oberdorf (VfL Wolfsburg Ladies) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Goal! Chelsea Women 3, VfL Wolfsburg Ladies 3. Pernille Harder (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Melanie Leupolz.
Substitution, VfL Wolfsburg Ladies. Sandra Starke replaces Pia-Sophie Wolter.
Hand ball by Jessie Fleming (Chelsea Women).
Attempt blocked. Magdalena Eriksson (Chelsea Women) header from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Erin Cuthbert with a cross.
Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Lena Oberdorf.
Substitution, Chelsea Women. Sophie Ingle replaces Jessica Carter.
Attempt saved. Sam Kerr (Chelsea Women) header from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Erin Cuthbert with a cross.
Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Kathrin Hendrich.
Attempt missed. Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Pernille Harder.
Foul by Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea Women).
Pia-Sophie Wolter (VfL Wolfsburg Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, VfL Wolfsburg Ladies. Turid Knaak replaces Tabea Waßmuth.
Lena Oberdorf (VfL Wolfsburg Ladies) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Pernille Harder (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lena Oberdorf (VfL Wolfsburg Ladies).
Attempt saved. Svenja Huth (VfL Wolfsburg Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Shanice van de Sanden.
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