Real Madrid vs Chelsea LIVE: Women’s Champions League team news and line-ups tonight as Fran Kirby starts

“I think it’s everything,” she said in a pre-match press conference. “I think that’s why players come to Chelsea, a top team and a club that’s very important to everyone, that stands for women, that represents women, and we want to be a dominant force in any competition that we take part in.

“I think you’ve seen the special performances that come out of the Champions League games and it’s a trophy that we don’t have, but it’s about going game-by-game and everyone’s switched on and ready for the challenges ahead.

“It’s been a target every season [winning the competition]. We’ve been very open about how important it is for us to keep progressing in the competition, but also our aim and dream is to win it. That goes hand-in-hand with being a Chelsea player and representing the club. The excitement is the same as any season.

“It’s certainly a competition that we’re prepared for and every single day we work towards it. At this club we always look to develop and improve and season-by-season we want to be again a dominant force. We’re just really excited for the campaign to start now.”

Chelsea made it five wins from six in the Women’s Super League on Sunday with a 3-0 victory away to Everton.

Jessie Fleming struck the opener after just 14 minutes before second half goals from Sam Kerr and Aggie Beever-Jones helped the reigning WSL champions maintain their three-point advantage at the top of the table.

Can they bring that form into tonight’s European action?

Real Madrid defender Olga Carmona supplied the assist for two of her side’s goals in that emphatic Liga F win on Friday to take her league tally for the campaign to five – more than any other player in the Spanish top-flight so far this season.

Chelsea and Real Madrid were also in the same Champions League group last season, with the English champions progressing to the quarter-finals as the Spanish side were knocked out after finishing third behind Paris Saint-Germain.

Chelsea travel to the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano tonight knowing they rode their luck during the 1-1 draw there in December last season.

They finished above Real Madrid in the group stages but that was before a Spain team packed with Madrid stars pipped the England side, not lacking in Chelsea talent, in August’s World Cup final.

Will Chelsea triumph tonight?

Real Madrid XI: Misa, Oihane, Ivana, Kathellen, Carmona, Toletti, Teresa, Athenea, Zornoza, Caicedo, Brunn

Chelsea XI: Berger, Lawrence, Bright, Carter, Charles, Cuthbert, Nusken, Rytting Kaneryd, Kirby, Fleming, Kerr

Chelsea begin their Champions League campaign with a tricky trip to Real Madrid with boss Emma Hayes out to lead the Blues to a maiden title before departing.

The Blues went deep in last season’s Champions League, reaching the semi-final stage before suffering a narrow defeat at the hands of Barcelona.

Bookmakers have made the Women’s Super League champions the third favourites to triumph this time around and they get an early chance to demonstrate their credentials at at the Alfredo Di Stefano.

Tonight’s clash sees Australian winger Hayley Raso, who plays for Real Madrid, go up against her national team captain and star striker, Sam Kerr.

Kerr is Chelsea’s main goalscorer and will provide a huge threat in and around the box. Which of the Matildas will prevail this evening?

The match will kick off at 8pm GMT on Wednesday 15 November.

All group stage games will be available to stream for free in the UK. Fans will be able to watch the UWCL group stage up to and including Matchday 4 on DAZN’s YouTube channel, with coverage then moving to the DAZN app and platforms.

TNT Sports will also be showing Real Madrid vs Chelsea live from 8pm.

Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Women’s Champions League as Chelsea kick off their final European campaign under boss Emma Hayes.

Hayes has already been announced as the new head coach of the US women’s national team, a role she will take up at the end of this current season meaning she has one last chance of winning the only trophy to allude her as Chelsea manager.

The Blues reached the semi-finals of the tournament last season but fell to eventual winners Barcelona and now must start the group stages of the 2023/24 tournament against Liga F runner-up Real Madrid.

They famously reached the WCL final in 2021 only to be beaten, again, by Barcelona. Will this campaign finally earn them the title of European champions?

We’ll have all the updates, team news and match action tonight so stick around as we build up to kick off at 8pm.