Chelsea rallies to beat Real Madrid 2-1 and finish top of its Women's Champions League group

United States striker Catarina Macario entered as a halftime substitute and converted two penalties for Chelsea in a 2-1 win over Real Madrid that helped the English club finish top of its Women’s Champions League group with a 100% record on Tuesday.

Madrid was already sure of qualifying for the quarterfinals along with Chelsea, but needed a win at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano to go through as the Group B winner.

The Spanish team was on course for victory when Caroline Weir opened the scoring in the seventh minute after her shot could only be parried onto the post by Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton and into the net.

Macario was brought on at halftime and made a huge difference, with her incisiveness leading to a penalty when she was tripped by Olga Carmona.

The Brazil-born Macario curled a right-footed shot high into the net in the 51st minute and converted a second penalty into almost exactly the same spot in the 56th after Chelsea midfielder Wieke Kaptein flicked the ball into the outstretched left hand of Carmona.

Chelsea won all six of its group games and has yet to lose this season under new coach Sonia Bompastor. In the Women’s Super League in England, Chelsea has won nine games and drawn the other.

Another team to wrap up group play with a maximum 18 points was Lyon, the eight-time champion, after a 1-0 victory at home to two-time winner Wolfsburg. Danielle van de Donk scored in the 81st.

Both teams had already qualified, with Lyon guaranteed to win Group A.

Roma beat Galatasaray 3-0 in the other Group A game, while Twente defeated Celtic 3-0 in Group B. All four of those teams had already been eliminated.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Real Madrid's Caroline Weir, left, celebrates with her teammates after scoring the first goal against Chelsea during the women's Champions League, group B soccer match between Real Madrid and Chelsea at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Caroline Weir, left, celebrates with her teammates after scoring the first goal against Chelsea during the women's Champions League, group B soccer match between Real Madrid and Chelsea at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Chelsea's Catarina Macario, left, and FC Twente's Danique van Ginkel battle for the ball during the Women's Champions League group B match between Chelsea and FC Twente at the Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Catarina Macario, right, celebrates with her teammates after scoring a goal from penalty during the women's Champions League, group B soccer match between Real Madrid and Chelsea at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Signe Bruun, right, reacts as Chelsea's Catarina Macario scoring a goal from penalty during the women's Champions League, group B soccer match between Real Madrid and Chelsea at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Chelsea's Catarina Macario, left, celebrates after scoring a goal from penalty during the women's Champions League, group B soccer match between Real Madrid and Chelsea at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Chelsea's Catarina Macario, right, celebrates after scoring a goal from penalty during the women's Champions League, group B soccer match between Real Madrid and Chelsea at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Chelsea's Catarina Macario, left, scores the second goal from penalty during the women's Champions League, group B soccer match between Real Madrid and Chelsea at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

MUMBAI, India (AP) — Krunal Pandya gave a full-throated roar to closing out his former team the Mumbai Indians and his younger brother Hardik Pandya in an Indian Premier League thriller on Monday.

Krunal, who helped Mumbai win three of their five IPL titles, was entrusted with bowling the final over in a raucous atmosphere and took three wickets to give Royal Challengers Bengaluru their first win in Wankhede Stadium in a decade.

After Bengaluru put up 221-5, Mumbai fell shy at 209-9.

Bengaluru was on top for most of the game.

Virat Kohli's fastest Twenty20 half-century in seven years, off 29 balls, in a 42-ball 67, captain Rajat Patidar's 32-ball 64, and Jitesh Sharma's unbeaten 40 off 19 staked Bengaluru to an imposing total on a good batting pitch.

But Mumbai, backed by its impassioned fans, produced a dramatic comeback as Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya blasted apart the Bengaluru bowling.

Varma and Hardik slashed the run rate required by combining for 89 off 34 into the 18th over. But that's when the chase suddenly stalled after Varma was caught for 56 off 29, and in the 19th over after Hardik was caught for 42 off 15.

The last over came down to 19 runs needed by Mumbai. But Krunal got Mitchell Santner caught in the deep first ball, and Deepak Chahar caught second ball on the boundary to an incredible double act between Phil Salt and Tim David.

Two sixes were needed off the last two balls to force a super over but Naman Dhir's huge swipe was taken on the fence, prompting Krunal's huge roar of delight.

“I wanted to win, he (Hardik) wanted to win,” Krunal said. “I feel for him.”

Captain Patidar received man of the match and praised his death bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 18th, Josh Hazlewood in the 19th, and Krunal.

“The way he bowled (that last over) was amazing,” Patidar said. “The way he showed courage was fantastic.”

Kohli became the fifth batsman to achieve 13,000 runs in T20s as the Indian batting maestro set the tone for a challenging total by hitting eight fours and two sixes.

Kohli joined Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard of West Indies, Alex Hales of England and Shoaib Malik of Pakistan to the landmark in a brisk 91-run stand off 52 balls with left-hander Devdutt Padikkal, who made a 22-ball 37.

Kohli welcomed Jasprit Bumrah, returning from a back injury in January, with a six on the on-side off the fast bowler's first ball. But Bumrah quickly found his lengths and conceded only 29 runs off his four overs, the only Mumbai bowler to average less than 10 an over.

After Kohli fell to Hardik at deep midwicket, Patidar and Sharma, who smashed four sixes and two boundaries, accelerated against Trent Boult, the left-arm fast bowler who ended up with his most expensive IPL figures, 2-57.

Boult was in the middle at the end with a bat in his hand, unable to prevent Bengaluru from celebrating its first IPL win at Wankhede since 2015, and its third win in four games this season. Bengaluru, seeking its maiden IPL title, also beat Chennai Super Kings for the first time at Chepauk in 17 years.

Meanwhile, Mumbai lost its fourth game in five.

“We fell short by two hits,” captain Hardik said.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Mumbai Indians' Jasprit Bumrah bowls a delivery during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Mumbai Indians' Jasprit Bumrah, center, tries to field the ball during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya, second left, celebrates the dismissal of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Josh Hazlewood, second right, celebrates the dismissal of Mumbai Indians' Ryan Rickelton during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Yash Dayal celebrates the dismissal of Mumbai Indians' Rohit Sharma during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's captain Rajat Patidar celebrates after scoring fifty runs during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Josh Hazlewood, left, celebrates the dismissal of Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Krunal Pandya celebrates the dismissal of Mumbai Indians' Will Jacks during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)