UEFA Ladies’s Champions League
SL Benfica 0 – 2 Arsenal FT
England ahead Mead (left) put Arsenal forward early within the second half [Reuters]
Champions League holders Arsenal claimed their first win of this season’s league section as second-half objectives from Beth Mead and Alessia Russo determined an in depth contest towards Benfica in Lisbon.
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The Gunners made a stumbling begin to their title defence final week as Lyon got here from behind to take all three factors at Meadow Park, however arrived on the Estadio da Luz seeking to construct momentum after beating Brighton within the WSL on Sunday.
Their return to the town the place they claimed their second European crown in Might proved intensely irritating, with few positives to take earlier than Mead notched the opener on 57 minutes in Portugal’s capital.
Renee Slegers’ aspect didn’t register a shot on course within the first half and had Daphne van Domselaar to thank for remaining stage on the break, the Netherlands goalkeeper assembly Diana Gomes’ highly effective header with an excellent save.
The second half began in the identical vein as the primary, with Arsenal dominating possession whereas struggling to create, earlier than a second of fortune broke the hosts’ resolve.
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Whereas Mead was unable to get on the top of Mariona Caldentey’s sq. ball, her presence brought on chaos within the residence defence, with Portugal centre-back Gomes getting her ft blended up and inadvertently nudging the ball in direction of her personal aim earlier than the England ahead utilized the ultimate contact.
With Benfica nonetheless a menace up the opposite finish Slegers introduced on final 12 months’s last hero Stina Blackstenius and England winger Chloe Kelly, in a bid to seek out the safety of a second aim.
Nevertheless it was Russo who made the victory secure on 89 minutes, the England striker pouncing to slam residence a end into the underside nook after a free-kick had dropped into the field.
Extra to observe.