Alessia Russo hat-trick sends Arsenal past Benfica and sets English scoring mark
Russo scored all three goals in Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League win, taking her competition tally to 23 as the league phase continued.
Alessia Russo scored a hat-trick as Arsenal beat Benfica 3-0 in the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. The Guardian reported that the goals made her the highest-scoring English player in the competition’s history and lifted Arsenal to second in the league phase.
Russo scored every goal in the match, according to the Guardian’s match report. BBC Sport’s match description also recorded the hat-trick and the English scoring milestone. AFP put Russo’s Women’s Champions League total at 23 goals after the Benfica game.
How Arsenal’s Benfica win fits their league phase
Arsenal had been fifth before kick-off after beating HB Køge and drawing with Paris FC, the Guardian reported. The Benfica result gave them another league-phase win. The Guardian also noted that Arsenal had won 2-0 away to Benfica in the previous season’s league phase.
AFP reported that Chelsea joined Arsenal and Lyon on seven points after Wednesday’s matches, with Chelsea behind the other two teams on goal difference. Barcelona, on six points after winning their first two games, were due to play HB Køge on Thursday, AFP said.
Chelsea and Bayern results on the same matchday
Chelsea beat Roma 2-0 at Plough Lane. Substitute Ellie Carpenter scored in the 51st minute from Wieke Kaptein’s cutback, and Kadeisha Buchanan headed in a second from another Kaptein delivery a minute from time, AFP reported. The win took Chelsea to seven points after three matches.
Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor said her side could have settled the match earlier. ‘In these kinds of matches, if you don’t kill it off, you just leave the hope for the opponent,’ she said, according to AFP. Chelsea had begun their campaign with a win and a draw before facing Roma.
Bayern Munich recovered from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Real Madrid. AFP reported that Athenea and former Bayern forward Lineth Beerensteyn put Madrid ahead before Edna Imade headed one back and Momoko Tanikawa equalised in the 52nd minute. Servette beat OH Leuven 5-1, with Paola Hernandez and Gloria Marinelli scoring twice each.
Lyon beat Inter Milan on the same matchday. AFP reported that Marie-Antoinette Katoto scored twice and Vicki Becho came off the bench to score a hat-trick in Lyon’s home win.
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Sources and context
- Alessia Russo makes history with hat-trick as Arsenal cruise to Benfica winThe Guardian
- Highlights - WUCL - Arsenal 3-0 BenficaBBC Sport
- Chelsea win as Bayern draw with Madrid in Women's Champions LeagueAFP, republished by Yahoo Sports
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.