Key events
Team news
Four changes for Arsenal from Sunday’s 1-0 win over Brighton. Lotte Wubben-Moy, Taylor Hinds, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Beth Mead come in for Katie Reid, who is injured, Katie McCabe, Frida Maanum and Caitlin Foord.
Benfica (possible 4-3-3) Pauels; Amado, Gomes, Ucheibe, Lund; Tristao, Cameirao, Gasper; Alves, Diana Silva, Moller.
Subs: Rute Costa, Prat, Joana Silva, Martin-Prieto, Almeida, Carole Costa, Engesvik, Martins, Pauleta, Davidson, Boeckmann, Guedes.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Van Domselaar; Fox, Wubben-Moy, Catley, Hinds; Little, Cooney-Cross; Smith, Caldentey, Mead; Russo.
Subs: Codina, McCabe, Maanum, Kelly, Foord, Pelova, Nighswonger, Blackstenius, Harwood, Liddiard.
Referee Miriama Bockova (Slovakia).
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Benfica v Arsenal in the WCL. Arsenal’s Champions League defence got off to a false start last week with a 2-1 defeat at home to Lyon; and while it’s too early to talk of must-win games, they’ll be keen to get up and running in Lisbon tonight.
It won’t be straightforward against a Benfica side who have won five Portuguese titles in a row. They also started this season’s competition with a 2-1 defeat, in their case away to Juventus. But unlike Arsenal, Benfica don’t have much pedigree in this tournament – at least not yet. Their best run, two seasons ago, ended with a 6-2 aggregate defeat to Lyon in the quarter-finals.
Benfica, and Portuguese football more generally, will want to make a dent in the competition as soon as spossible. Victory over the reigning champions would be a nice place to start.
Kick off 8pm
