Sam Kerr scored twice for Chelsea in her first start for the club since December 2023 as her side demolished Austrian outfit St Polten 6-0 in the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday morning.
The rout began in the 13th minute as Matildas star Ellie Carpenter provided the assist for Wieke Kaptein, before a double for Catarina Macario, including one from the penalty spot.
Kerr got in on the act in the 75th minute, bringing the ball down and finishing clinically from close range to score Chelsea’s 150th goal in European competition. The relief was clear on the Australian captain’s face as teammates got around her to celebrate.
The 32-year-old then capped off the evening with a well-taken header to grab her second, steering home Niamh Charles’ pinpoint delivery.
Chelsea completely dominated this match. According to UEFA’s official website, the English side commanded 64% possession and had 40 shots to St Polten’s one, with goalkeeper Carina Schluter’s 12 saves the only thing preventing the scoreline from getting even uglier.
This start, and playing full 90 minutes, marks Kerr’s final step in her comeback from a tumultuous two years on the sidelines with an ACL injury.
She hadn’t started in the Champions League for 692 days prior to this match and there aren’t many better ways to mark your return to the European stage than by scoring twice in a resounding win.
“It feels good. It felt like I had to work myself into it but yeah, happy to score,” Kerr told Disney+.
“They did a good job with defending to be fair. They collapsed in the midfield and on us. We knew we had to be patient and the longer it went on they would open up more and more, so I just had to stay ready and lucky the ball fell to me and had some good teammates feeding me the ball.
“Of course, I prefer to play more minutes. When you come on for 20 minutes it’s a bit hectic, there’s lot of subs and it can be a bit wishy washy. I feel like today was good. I had a few chances in the first half.
“I’m just happy to be back out here playing in the Champions League again with an amazing team. I’m relishing every moment.”
She added: “I feel 100 per cent but I was out for a while, so I have to build myself up. Today was a good set, right? Getting some good minutes in the national team was a good set. I’m definitely fit enough, it’s just about getting miles in the legs now. I’m ready to go.
“It feels a bit sweeter but it feels a bit weird. I didn’t score for so long that I was like I haven’t celebrated, really. I haven’t got that celebration thing yet. I’ve got to score a few more.”
Chelsea sit second in the Women’s Champions League table after three matches. Next up, they face the ultimate test in the competition, a clash against Spanish heavyweights Barcelona.