Russo hat-trick gives Slegers breathing room

In the Arsenal‑stadium, under a clear evening sky, Renée Slegers broke the silence of a difficult season with a convincing 3‑0 victory over Benfica in the Champions League. Alessia Russo scored all three goals, while the Dutch coach was under pressure to get her team back on the map.

Arsenal dominates Benfica

With a perfect first half Arsenal already put the Portuguese opponent 2‑0 up, after which Russo scored her third strike just before halftime. The home side remained undaunted and kept the ball in the final score, giving them their first back‑to‑back wins this season.

The win gave Slegers a much‑needed breather after a run of mediocre results in the English competitions, where her position has recently come under fire. The success showed that her tactical choices are now bearing fruit and the team seems to have the better hand.

Beerensteyn confirms form at Real Madrid

Also on the Champions League night Lineth Beerensteyn scored for Real Madrid, which took a point against Bayern Munich (2‑2). After a difficult start following her move to Madrid she has now scored in three consecutive matches, finding her rhythm again.

Beerensteyn, who previously netted four goals in the World Cup qualifying duels against Hungary, again displayed her sharpness for the Oranje and confirmed her impact at the Spanish club.

In another match Chelsea, with Wieke Kaptein and Veerle Buurman in the starting lineup, delivered a 2‑0 win over AS Roma. Ellie Carpenter launched the attack and opened the scoring after a one‑two with Kaptein.

The London defence, led by Buurman, gave the opponent hardly any chances, and Kadeisha Buchanan headed the final score onto the boards just before time.

In the women's section OL Lyon achieved an impressive 6‑0 victory over Inter. After a half‑time score of 2‑0, Lilly Yohannes provided a spectacular goal from about thirty metres, after which Vicki Bècho rounded off the evening with three goals.