Arsenal and Benfica meet on 28 October 2026 in Matchday 3 of the 2026/27 UEFA Women's Champions League league phase. Arsenal have four points from two games and Benfica have three. An Arsenal win would stretch the gap between the teams to four points; a Benfica victory would put the Portuguese side two points ahead. Three matchdays would still remain, so this result alone cannot guarantee either direct qualification for the quarter-finals or a play-off berth.
Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 in London (GMT), also 20:00 in mainland Portugal (WET), equivalent to 17:00 in Brasília (UTC-3), on Wednesday 28 October. Fixtures and figures were checked on 21 October 2026, before the match; any subsequent changes require confirmation with the organiser.
How have Arsenal and Benfica performed before Matchday 3?
Arsenal opened with a 1-0 win over HB Køge on 22 September, then drew 2-2 away to Paris FC on 30 September. Benfica began with a 2-1 victory against Juventus in Turin but lost 3-0 at home to Bayern München in their next fixture. All the results below refer exclusively to the 2026/27 league phase.
| Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals for | Goals against | Goal difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 |
| Benfica | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
These totals were calculated from UEFA's published scores, awarding three points for a win and one for a draw. They represent points already earned, not a forecast or the teams' final positions in the 18-club table.
What changes with a win, draw or defeat?
Because the teams meet directly and each has completed only two fixtures, the result will affect both point totals at the same time. The possibilities below do not include other Matchday 3 results.
| Arsenal vs Benfica result | Arsenal points after 3 matches | Benfica points after 3 matches | Gap between them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal win | 7 | 3 | Arsenal +4 |
| Draw | 5 | 4 | Arsenal +1 |
| Benfica win | 4 | 6 | Benfica +2 |
This table is an arithmetic scenario analysis, not a score prediction, a final ranking or an estimate of qualification probability. Each team's position after the round will also depend on the results of the other 16 clubs, goal difference and the applicable tiebreakers.
Direct qualification versus play-offs: what is the difference?
The competition has 18 clubs in one league table. Each team plays six fixtures against six different opponents, three at home and three away. At the end of Matchday 6, scheduled for 16 December 2026, the top four qualify directly for the quarter-finals. Teams placed fifth through 12th enter a two-legged knockout play-off to determine the four other quarter-finalists; teams ranked 13th through 18th are eliminated.
The 2026/27 regulations rank teams by points first. If points are level at the end of the league phase, the order begins with goal difference, goals scored, away goals scored, wins and away wins. Further criteria cover the collective records of opponents, disciplinary points and club coefficient. Therefore, Arsenal vs Benfica should not be treated as an automatic head-to-head tiebreaker.
Who will each team still face?
After this fixture, Arsenal are due to visit Barcelona on 11 November, host OL Lyonnes on 19 November and visit Inter on 16 December. Benfica are scheduled to host Austria Wien on 11 November and Roma on 19 November before visiting HB Køge on 16 December. According to the UEFA schedule consulted, those are the remaining three league-phase matches for each club.
The distribution of fixtures matters when assessing scenarios. Winning on Matchday 3 provides a larger points cushion but does not settle the final position, since each side will still have half of its fixtures to play and the two teams do not face identical opponents.
Where is the match and what still needs checking?
The UEFA match-specific page lists Meadow Park in Borehamwood as the venue for Arsenal vs Benfica. However, an official Arsenal page for residents around Emirates Stadium lists the same 28 October fixture at Emirates Stadium. Because these two official publications conflict, anyone planning to attend should recheck the venue on UEFA's match page and the club's latest ticket information before travelling.
This preview does not claim confirmed line-ups, absences or broadcasters, because each requires separate match-specific evidence. Its scope is the schedule, results already recorded and mathematical Matchday 3 outcomes as checked on 21 October 2026.
Sources and references
- UEFA: Arsenal vs Benfica official match information and venue
- UEFA: 2026/27 league-phase fixtures and results by team
- UEFA: 2026/27 regulations, Article 17, format and qualifying places
- UEFA: 2026/27 regulations, Article 18, tiebreaking criteria
- Arsenal: local residents fixture notice showing a conflicting venue
