Violets face a tough challenge against Chelsea

The Veilchen are kicking off the league phase of the UEFA Women’s Champions League with a massive challenge. The clash between Austria and Chelsea FC is like a battle between David and Goliath. Nevertheless, Louise Schöffel and her team intend to tackle this challenge head-on and refuse to be intimidated in any way.

The figures speak for themselves: if you look at the squad values of Chelsea and Austria, there is a gap of over 10 million euros between the two teams. So it’s no secret that the ‘Violet’ women will go into Wednesday’s clash as clear underdogs. Nevertheless, they want to approach their first match of the UWCL group stage with a positive attitude.

“We want to do our colours proud!”

Stefan Kenesei: “There’s a huge sense of anticipation for this match, for this special occasion. Every footballer dreams of playing in the Champions League, and that dream is coming true today with our trip to London. We’re up against an incredibly strong opponent in Chelsea, but we want to be brave and do our colours proud. We’re not coming to London to admire our opponents or sightsee; we want to impress with a good performance. That’s the foundation for springing a surprise here and taking home some points. However, we’re also realistic enough to recognise that this will be a very, very difficult task.”

Chelsea in the 2021 UWCL Final

Chelsea are one of the dominant forces in the English Women’s Super League. With eight league titles, the London side have won the Super League more times than any other team. They have also enjoyed some impressive international success, such as reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League on six occasions. In 2021, they even reached the final, though they lost 0–4 to FC Barcelona.

The Violets have built up confidence in both the league and the cup through several wins in recent weeks and are keen to carry that form onto the pitch on Wednesday. Winger Louise Schöffel, who had been sidelined for a few matches, also returned to action last weekend and is fit for the clash against the London side.

The match will be broadcast on Disney+ and ORF Sport+

Louise Schöffel: “The atmosphere in the team is really good and positive. I haven’t quite realised yet that the Champions League is actually about to kick off. You work every day for matches like this, which is why it’s something very special to be able to take part tomorrow. We know the quality Chelsea possess, but we want to play with courage, give our all as a team and show what sets us apart. We’ve worked hard together to earn these matches and so we want to enjoy them, whilst at the same time growing from the experience and taking a lot away from it as a team.”

The match takes place on Wednesday 22 September at 8.00 pm local time (9.00 pm) in London at Plough Lane. Disney+ will broadcast the match as the official UWCL partner. ORF ON will also be showing the match. The broadcast begins at 8.55 pm, with ORF Sport+ joining the coverage on linear TV at 9.30 pm.