Chelsea welcome AS Roma to Plough Lane on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, for Matchday 3 of the UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase. The Blues are unbeaten in Europe this season and will look to strengthen their position in the standings against a Roma side searching for their first European victory. Sonia Bompastor’s team enter…
Chelsea welcome AS Roma to Plough Lane on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, for Matchday 3 of the UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase. The Blues are unbeaten in Europe this season and will look to strengthen their position in the standings against a Roma side searching for their first European victory.
Sonia Bompastor’s team enter the fixture in seventh place with four points, having conceded no goals in their opening two matches. Roma sit 16th with one point, but arrive in London with renewed confidence following three consecutive domestic victories.
Chelsea vs AS Roma: Match Information
Competition: UEFA Women’s Champions League 2026/27, Matchday 3
Date: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
Kick-off: 17:45 GMT / 18:45 CET
Venue: Plough Lane, London
Live stream: Chelsea vs AS Roma Disney+
Chelsea Form: Unbeaten and Defensively Solid
The Blues have made a steady start to their Women’s Champions League campaign, collecting four points from their opening two matches. Wieke Kaptein scored the only goal in a 1-0 home victory over Austria Vienna before the Blues secured a goalless draw away to Lyon.
Although Chelsea have scored just once in Europe, their defensive record remains perfect. Domestically, Bompastor’s side have been considerably more productive. They defeated Tottenham Hotspur 6-2 before coming from behind to beat Crystal Palace 3-1 on Sunday.
Melvine Malard scored twice against Palace, while Sandy Baltimore made a decisive contribution from the bench, providing an assist and converting a penalty.
Bompastor praised the impact of her substitutes following that victory, highlighting the importance of maintaining confidence and composure when facing opponents defending in a low block.
Chelsea have recorded nine wins and two draws across their opening 11 matches in all competitions, providing an encouraging foundation for their European ambitions.
AS Roma Form: Domestic Momentum Meets European Difficulties
Roma’s European campaign has been challenging so far. Gianpiero Piovani’s side opened with a 0-0 draw away to OH Leuven before suffering a heavy 6-0 home defeat against Barcelona.
The Italian club have yet to score in the league phase and have conceded six goals, leaving them 16th after two matches. However, their domestic performances tell a different story. Roma have won three consecutive Serie A matches, beating Lazio 3-1, AC Milan 4-2 and Juventus 5-2.
Their impressive victory over Juventus on Saturday provided a significant confidence boost ahead of the trip to London. Piovani acknowledged the challenge posed by Chelsea but emphasised that his players must approach the fixture with courage.
He also recognised Chelsea’s technical and physical strengths, comparing their level to Barcelona. Roma will hope their attacking form in Serie A can translate into a more competitive performance in Europe.
Chelsea vs AS Roma Team News
Chelsea Team News
Bompastor confirmed that Lauren James and Keira Walsh are available for selection after both missed Sunday’s victory over Crystal Palace. The Chelsea manager welcomed the competition within her squad, explaining that the availability of so many players gives her difficult selection decisions.
However, Naomi Girma is only beginning to return to running following her injury, while there has been no further update on Mayra Ramírez.
Chelsea therefore have several options to consider, particularly in midfield and attack, where recent performances have strengthened the competition for starting places.
Malard’s form makes her an important attacking option, while James’ return provides additional creativity.
AS Roma Team News
Roma head coach Gianpiero Piovani has not confirmed any specific absences ahead of Wednesday’s fixture. The head coach did reveal that several players are carrying knocks following a demanding run of matches.
Piovani indicated that Roma may need to make changes and carefully manage playing time, with fixtures arriving every three or four days.
The Italian side will aim to select their strongest available team while avoiding unnecessary risks with players who are not fully fit.
Chelsea vs AS Roma Predicted Lineups
Chelsea Predicted XI
Formation: 4-3-3
Hampton; McCabe, Bronze, Buurman, Carpenter; Cuthbert, Kaptein, Nüsken; Walsh, Malard, Lauren James.
AS Roma Predicted XI
Formation: 4-4-2
Baldi; Thøgersen, Antoine, Oladipo, Ottey; Cimò, Rieke, Pandini, Greggi; Corelli, Giugliano.
These are predicted lineups and may change before kick-off.
Tactical Preview: Can Roma Break Chelsea’s Defence?
Chelsea’s defensive organisation has been one of their biggest strengths in the Champions League so far. Two clean sheets against Austria Vienna and Lyon underline their ability to control matches and limit opportunities, even when facing strong European opposition.
However, Chelsea have not yet been particularly clinical in the competition, scoring only once across their opening two fixtures. The return of Lauren James could provide additional attacking creativity, while Malard’s recent goalscoring form offers another significant threat.
Roma face a difficult tactical decision. Their recent Serie A victories demonstrate their attacking potential, but attempting to play too openly against Chelsea could leave dangerous spaces for the home side to exploit.
Piovani has emphasised the importance of courage, although Roma will also need greater defensive discipline than they displayed against Barcelona.
Chelsea are likely to dominate possession and look to stretch Roma’s defensive shape, while the visitors may depend on quick transitions and opportunities to exploit space behind Chelsea’s advancing players.
An early Chelsea goal could make Roma’s task considerably harder, but the Italian side’s recent confidence should not be underestimated.
Chelsea vs AS Roma Head-to-Head
The teams met in last season’s Women’s Champions League league phase, with the Blues recording a convincing 6-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in December 2025. Chelsea also defeated Roma 3-2 in a friendly in September 2023.
The London club have an impressive record against Italian opposition, remaining unbeaten in five competitive meetings with four wins and one draw. Chelsea have also never conceded a home goal against a Serie A opponent in the competition.
Roma will therefore be looking not only for their first European victory of the season but also for a significantly improved performance compared with their previous meeting.
Chelsea vs AS Roma Prediction
Chelsea enter the match as clear favourites. Their unbeaten start, defensive record and strong domestic performances provide a considerable advantage, particularly with Lauren James and Keira Walsh available again.
Roma’s recent victories over Lazio, Milan and Juventus suggest they are capable of causing problems, but their struggles against European opposition remain a concern.
Chelsea should have enough attacking quality to create opportunities and control the contest, although Roma may offer more resistance than their current league-phase position suggests.
Prediction: Chelsea 3-0 AS Roma.
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