Arsenal beat Real Madrid 2-1 as Alessia Russo scores twice

Arsenal secured a vital 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the Women's Champions League, reversing a deficit through a double from Alessia Russo after Scotland international Caroline Weir had opened the scoring with a brilliant volley for the visitors, as reported by the BBC.

The fixture at Meadow Park carried heavy significance for the hosts, who entered the contest searching for a catalyst after an underwhelming start to the campaign. According to Sports Mole, the reigning European champions had struggled for consistency across competitive matches this term, recording mixed results that left them lower in the table than expected. Renee Slegers made four changes to her starting lineup, introducing England international Chloe Kelly from the start and placing trust in a reshuffled attack.

Media additions

Real Madrid arrived in London looking to respond to a heavy defeat against Barcelona in El Clasico. Pau Quesada's side initially seized the initiative when Caroline Weir converted a superb volley to put the visitors ahead. Las Blancas continued to pose a threat through forwards Linda Caicedo and Naomie Feller, though they failed to capitalize on opportunities to double their advantage.

The turning point arrived after the interval. Kelly delivered an accurate cross that Russo headed past Misa Rodriguez to equalize. Fourteen minutes later, substitute Beth Mead made an immediate impact by sending in a corner that Russo met with another header, completing the turnaround. Record signing Olivia Smith also proved dangerous throughout the encounter, testing the Real Madrid defense on multiple occasions.

Reflecting on the contest, Real Madrid manager Pau Quesada expressed disappointment with the outcome. I felt we deserved more. It was a very close game - the key moment was when we didn't go 2-0 up, Quesada said, via the BBC. I'm still very proud of the aggression we showed and our identity. We find it hard to accept this defeat.

Slegers acknowledged the heavy pressure surrounding the team following their recent slump, which included throwing away a two-lead against Bayern Munich. This block has been a challenging one for us. We really needed three points. I agree, the result was more important than the performance, Slegers admitted. The way the players respond under pressure is such a high level. I'm really proud of the group.

With the league phase entering its decisive phase, only the top four teams out of the 18 competing sides will qualify automatically for the quarter-finals, while the bottom five teams face elimination.

Following this fixture, attention turns back to domestic and continental commitments. Arsenal are scheduled to host FC Twente after the upcoming international break before concluding their league phase campaign with an away fixture against OH Leuven. Meanwhile, Real Madrid prepare to welcome Eibar in domestic action and will host Wolfsburg in the Champions League.