Real Sociedad fall in Champions, but will play Europa Cup
The Basque side suffered a 1-0 defeat against Chelsea in the second leg of the Champions League qualifiers. This loss comes on top of the 5-2 reverse they suffered in the first leg, although the *donostiarras* will compete in the UEFA Women's Europa Cup, Europe's second-tier competition. The match marked Gorka Álvarez's debut in the dugout.
02 SEP 2026
Real Sociedad gave it their all, but fell short of pulling off an upset and securing qualification for the UEFA Women's Champions League league phase. The match, which marked Gorka Álvarez's debut in the San Sebastián dugout, once again showcased the Basque side's competitiveness in front of the 1,750 fans who packed the stands at Zubieta. The hosts started the brighter, but Beever-Jones carved out the game's first opening, only for Claudia Florentino to put in an imperial challenge to cut out the danger. Lauren James also tried her luck with an effort that drifted wide. The hosts responded through Ava Seelenfreund, but Hampton safely gathered the ball. The English goalkeeper also dealt well with a dangerous cross from Ainhoa Marín. Despite the persistence of the *txuri-urdin* side, the deadlock remained unbroken at the break. After the restart, Chelsea stepped up a gear, but Julia Arrula pulled off a spectacular save to deny Beever-Jones and keep her off the scoresheet.
However, pressure eventually told, and just nine minutes into the second half, the visitors broke the deadlock from a well-worked set-piece routine. Following a corner, the ball fell to Keira Walsh, who made no mistake with a strike from outside the area to open the scoring. Conceding prompted a reaction from the Basque side, with Nerea Eizagirre entering the fray in search of an equaliser. Ainhoa Marín tried her luck with a shot that was kept out by the English goalkeeper, whilst Claudia Florentino came close to levelling the tie, her header flashing just wide by a matter of centimetres. Gorka Álvarez's side pushed forward in the closing stages, and with seven minutes remaining, the coach brought on Maren Lezeta, who made her return to action after recovering from a serious injury. Despite their best efforts, Real Sociedad could not salvage a positive result, though the team will now compete in the UEFA Women's Europa Cup—Europe's secondary club competition—making them the first Spanish side to feature in it.