Women's Champions League Matchday 3: Arsenal vs Benfica facts

There is a point separating Arsenal and Benfica as they meet at Meadow Park on UEFA Women's Champions League Matchday 3.

Last match

These two sides also met in October last season – their only previous meeting – Alessia Russo scoring Arsenal's second goal in a 2-0 Matchday 2 win in Lisbon.

That remains Arsenal's only previous contest against a Portuguese club.

Benfica are yet to score against English opponents, an 0-8 aggregate defeat by Chelsea at the round of 32 stage in 2020/21 (0-5 h, 0-3 a) preceding that league phase loss to Arsenal last season.

Arsenal

Arsenal lifted the Women's Champions League trophy in 2024/25 after Stina Blackstenius scored the only goal of the game against holders Barcelona in Lisbon. It was their second European title after overcoming Umeå in a two-legged final in 2006/07. They are the only English side to reach two European finals.

This is the Londoners' 19th participation in the Women's Champions League. Their title defence ended at the semi-final stage last season – their ninth appearance in the last four – with that 3-4 aggregate defeat against OL Lyonnes (2-1 h, 1-3 a).

Benfica

Benfica made their Women's Champions League debut in 2020/21, 2026/27 marking their fifth group stage/league phase participation in the last six seasons. Their best result was reaching the quarter-finals in 2023/24 – the only team from Portugal to do so.

The Portuguese side finished 16th in last season's league phase on two points, drawing 1-1 at home against Twente and Paris Saint-Germain but losing their other four fixtures.

Key stats

Arsenal have won their last six Women's Champions League matches at home.

The Gunners, who have beaten HB Køge (1-0 h) and drawn with Paris FC (2-2 a) in the league phase, have scored in each of their last 15 group stage/league phase matches, since a 0-1 defeat against OL Lyonnes in December 2022.

Russo needs one goal to equal Fran Kirby's total of 21 as the leading English scorer in Women's Champions League/Women’s Cup history.

Arsenal's Georgia Stanway scored twice in Bayern München's 3-2 Women's Champions League away to Benfica in October 2022.

Benfica won 2-1 at Juventus on Matchday 1 and are seeking successive away victories in the group stage/league phase for the first time.

The Portuguese side lost 0-3 at home to Bayern on Matchday 2 and have won only one of their last nine European games (D2 L6).

Benfica have not kept a clean sheet in their last ten UEFA competition matches.