Holders Arsenal bounced back from defeat to Lyon in their opening game with a 2-0 victory against Benfica in the Women’s Champions League.
For long periods of the game, back in Lisbon where they lifted the Champions League trophy last May, Arsenal struggled to break down a stubborn and well-drilled Benfica.
However, the Gunners – having ended a four-match winless run with victory over Brighton in the Women’s Super League on Sunday – persevered and it eventually paid off after second-half goals from Beth Mead and Alessia Russo saw the defending champions get off the mark in this season’s competition.
Gunners off the mark in Europe
Renee Slegers’ side, who beat Barcelona in last season’s final at Estadio Jose Alvalade, had made a positive start. Mead sent an early free-kick over from 25 yards before Lotte Wubben-Moy headed wide from a corner.
However, it was Benfica, who lost to Juventus in their opening Champions League match, almost broke the deadlock three minutes before half-time. A corner was swung into a crowded Arsenal penalty area and Diana Gomes sent a powerful header towards the bottom corner, but Daphne van Domselaar got down to her left to make a fine reaction save.
After a low-key first half, Arsenal – beaten by Lyon in their opening fixture of the new-look league phase – eventually went ahead in the 57th minute.
Benfica were caught trying to play out from the back and Russo sent Mariona Caldentey into the right side of the penalty area.
Caldentey pulled the ball back towards Mead in the centre. Benfica defender Beatriz Cameirao went to intercept, but then kicked her attempted clearance against Diana Gomes – and Mead hooked the ball past goalkeeper Lena Pauels into the far corner.
Benfica tried to lift themselves and find an equaliser. Arsenal ‘keeper Van Domselaar had rush out of the area and clear a long ball forward as Diana Silva aimed to race clear.
The Gunners, though, made sure of victory with a minute left when Kelly sent in a low free-kick from deep on the left and Russo darted ahead of the defenders to slot the ball in.
More to follow…
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Packers’ Micah Parsons goes off on NFL officiating: ‘Don’t just protect one side of the ball’
Micah Parsons is tired of getting held, so he didn't hold back Thursday.The Green Bay Packers' star pass rusher, who doubles as the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, sacked the league's officiating when talking to reporters ahead of a Week 7 matchup versus the Arizona Cardinals.“Five years of not getting a call, you eventually stop worrying about it,” Parsons said, via The Athletic. “I think I just got to keep going. That’s the hunt, yeah. That’s part of the challenge, is you just got to keep going. And that’s bothersome. That worries them. They know that. That’s part of being one of the best. That comes with some territory, parts that you hate and the parts that the league lets go."Parsons continued: "You can tell how they call the games. They don’t call offsides for offense, but they’ll call it […]
BetMGM Bonus Code: Bet $10, Get $150 in MI, NJ, PA or WV on Thursday Night Football
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.Thursday Night Football this week features AFC North rivals, and is just the second time in NFL history that the two starting quarterbacks were both 40 years old or older.The Joe Flacco (40) led Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) face the Aaron Rodgers (41) led Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) in this TNF duel. Both 40-year-old quarterbacks stepped into their role differently. Rodgers has been the starter for the Steelers since the beginning of the year, while Flacco took over the starting role in Cincinnati two weeks ago when he was traded from the Cleveland Browns.Rogers has the Steelers on a three-game win streak, while Flacco is in the midst of a Bengals four-game losing […]
Suspension of Lions’ Brian Branch for Postgame Fight vs. Chiefs Upheld on Appeal
The one-game suspension of Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was upheld Wednesday by a hearing officer appointed by the NFL and the NFL Players' Association.Jordy Nelson, the hearing officer, denied the appeal by Branch, who was suspended for a game without pay by the league Monday for unsportsmanlike conduct following a loss at Kansas City.Branch punched Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday night, setting off a postgame melee.Detroit (4-2) will host NFC South-leading Tampa Bay (5-1) without Branch, another blow for a team with a banged-up secondary.In a letter to Branch, Jon Runyan, the league vice president of football operations, wrote: "Your aggressive, non-football act was entirely unwarranted, posed a serious risk of injury, and clearly violated the standards of conduct and sportsmanship expected of NFL players."Runyan said Branch's conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and had no place in […]
Steelers vs. Bengals prediction: Can Aaron Rodgers keep rolling as Cincinnati fights to stay alive?
In the Week 7 edition of "Thursday Night Football," the Cincinnati Bengals play host to the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers.Cincinnati has lost four in a row since starting the season 2-0. The Bengals last week traded for Joe Flacco, who got the start last week against the Green Bay Packers but wasn't able to pull Cincy out of its slide. They need to start stacking wins, quickly, if they want to salvage their season and still be in contention if and when Joe Burrow is able to return to the lineup.Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is riding high with a 4-1 record and sits atop the AFC North with several games' worth of cushion. The Steelers came out of their bye and rather easily dispatched the Browns, and they're set up here to extend their division lead even further. The schedule toughens up […]
Vini Jr. é o sexto jogador mais bem pago do mundo; veja lista da Forbes
Vinicius Jr é o sexto jogador mais bem pago do mundo Foto: Marco Canoniero/Alamy Live NewsA revista Forbes divulgou nesta quinta-feira (16) o tradicional ranking dos jogadores de futebol mais bem pagos do mundo na temporada 2025/2026. O craque português Cristiano Ronaldo, do Al Nassr, segue no topo pelo segundo ano consecutivo e pela sexta vez na última década, com ganhos estimados em US$ 280 milhões (cerca de R$ 1,53 bilhão). PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEO único brasileiro na lista é Vinicius Jr., que aparece na sexta colocação com ganhos totais de US$ 60 milhões (R$ 327 milhões).A soma dos rendimentos dos dez atletas mais bem pagos atinge a marca impressionante de US$ 945 milhões (R$ 5,15 bilhões) antes de impostos e taxas de agentes, um valor ligeiramente inferior ao do ano passado, mas que demonstra a força econômica do futebol global, impulsionada […]
Blue Jays pull Anthony Santander from playoff roster, bringing early end to down season
The Toronto Blue Jays have removed outfielder Anthony Santander from the team's postseason roster, MLB announced Thursday. The move, which came just ahead of Toronto's AL Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners, ends an injury-burdened season for Santander after joining the Blue Jays in free agency this offseason.Santander is replaced by outfielder Joey Loperfido for the rest of the ALCS. Under MLB rules, the substitution also means that Santander will be ineligible for the World Series if the Blue Jays advance.Earlier in the series, Santander was a late scratch for Game 2 due to back tightness. He then came back for Toronto's 13-4 Game 3 rout over the Mariners, but was taken out in the bottom of the fifth inning and replaced by bench player Myles Straw. Santander had one run in the brief outing.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe outfielder was one of the […]
Related
Packers’ Micah Parsons goes off on NFL officiating: ‘Don’t just protect one side of the ball’
Micah Parsons is tired of getting held, so he didn't hold back Thursday.The Green Bay Packers' star pass rusher, who doubles as the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, sacked the league's officiating when talking to reporters ahead of a Week 7 matchup versus the Arizona Cardinals.“Five years of not getting a call, you eventually stop worrying about it,” Parsons said, via The Athletic. “I think I just got to keep going. That’s the hunt, yeah. That’s part of the challenge, is you just got to keep going. And that’s bothersome. That worries them. They know that. That’s part of being one of the best. That comes with some territory, parts that you hate and the parts that the league lets go."Parsons continued: "You can tell how they call the games. They don’t call offsides for offense, but they’ll call it […]
BetMGM Bonus Code: Bet $10, Get $150 in MI, NJ, PA or WV on Thursday Night Football
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.Thursday Night Football this week features AFC North rivals, and is just the second time in NFL history that the two starting quarterbacks were both 40 years old or older.The Joe Flacco (40) led Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) face the Aaron Rodgers (41) led Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) in this TNF duel. Both 40-year-old quarterbacks stepped into their role differently. Rodgers has been the starter for the Steelers since the beginning of the year, while Flacco took over the starting role in Cincinnati two weeks ago when he was traded from the Cleveland Browns.Rogers has the Steelers on a three-game win streak, while Flacco is in the midst of a Bengals four-game losing […]
Suspension of Lions’ Brian Branch for Postgame Fight vs. Chiefs Upheld on Appeal
The one-game suspension of Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was upheld Wednesday by a hearing officer appointed by the NFL and the NFL Players' Association.Jordy Nelson, the hearing officer, denied the appeal by Branch, who was suspended for a game without pay by the league Monday for unsportsmanlike conduct following a loss at Kansas City.Branch punched Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday night, setting off a postgame melee.Detroit (4-2) will host NFC South-leading Tampa Bay (5-1) without Branch, another blow for a team with a banged-up secondary.In a letter to Branch, Jon Runyan, the league vice president of football operations, wrote: "Your aggressive, non-football act was entirely unwarranted, posed a serious risk of injury, and clearly violated the standards of conduct and sportsmanship expected of NFL players."Runyan said Branch's conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and had no place in […]
Steelers vs. Bengals prediction: Can Aaron Rodgers keep rolling as Cincinnati fights to stay alive?
In the Week 7 edition of "Thursday Night Football," the Cincinnati Bengals play host to the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers.Cincinnati has lost four in a row since starting the season 2-0. The Bengals last week traded for Joe Flacco, who got the start last week against the Green Bay Packers but wasn't able to pull Cincy out of its slide. They need to start stacking wins, quickly, if they want to salvage their season and still be in contention if and when Joe Burrow is able to return to the lineup.Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is riding high with a 4-1 record and sits atop the AFC North with several games' worth of cushion. The Steelers came out of their bye and rather easily dispatched the Browns, and they're set up here to extend their division lead even further. The schedule toughens up […]
Vini Jr. é o sexto jogador mais bem pago do mundo; veja lista da Forbes
Vinicius Jr é o sexto jogador mais bem pago do mundo Foto: Marco Canoniero/Alamy Live NewsA revista Forbes divulgou nesta quinta-feira (16) o tradicional ranking dos jogadores de futebol mais bem pagos do mundo na temporada 2025/2026. O craque português Cristiano Ronaldo, do Al Nassr, segue no topo pelo segundo ano consecutivo e pela sexta vez na última década, com ganhos estimados em US$ 280 milhões (cerca de R$ 1,53 bilhão). PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEO único brasileiro na lista é Vinicius Jr., que aparece na sexta colocação com ganhos totais de US$ 60 milhões (R$ 327 milhões).A soma dos rendimentos dos dez atletas mais bem pagos atinge a marca impressionante de US$ 945 milhões (R$ 5,15 bilhões) antes de impostos e taxas de agentes, um valor ligeiramente inferior ao do ano passado, mas que demonstra a força econômica do futebol global, impulsionada […]
Blue Jays pull Anthony Santander from playoff roster, bringing early end to down season
The Toronto Blue Jays have removed outfielder Anthony Santander from the team's postseason roster, MLB announced Thursday. The move, which came just ahead of Toronto's AL Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners, ends an injury-burdened season for Santander after joining the Blue Jays in free agency this offseason.Santander is replaced by outfielder Joey Loperfido for the rest of the ALCS. Under MLB rules, the substitution also means that Santander will be ineligible for the World Series if the Blue Jays advance.Earlier in the series, Santander was a late scratch for Game 2 due to back tightness. He then came back for Toronto's 13-4 Game 3 rout over the Mariners, but was taken out in the bottom of the fifth inning and replaced by bench player Myles Straw. Santander had one run in the brief outing.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe outfielder was one of the […]
Be the first to leave a comment