Alessia Russo scored twice as England demolished Ukraine 6-1 in their FIFA 2027 World Cup European Qualifier on Tuesday evening in Turkey. The Arsenal striker netted both goals in the opening six minutes of the second half, with Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Taylor Hinds all starting for the Lionesses alongside Russo in the comfortable victory.
🔴🌐 Arsenal International Watch | March 3rd Recap
🇺🇦 1-6 🏴 | Leah Williamson and Taylor Hinds were subbed off at half-time, Alessia Russo got a brace and was subbed off on the 73rd minute. Lotte Wubben-Moy played the whole game. Chloe Kelly was an unused sub. pic.twitter.com/Yox05jC7vc
— 🔴 (@awfcdirect) March 4, 2026
Georgia Stanway grabbed a brace of her own, with Wubben-Moy providing the assist for the Manchester City midfielder’s second goal. Jess Park also got on the scoresheet as Sarina Wiegman’s side made a perfect start to their qualifying campaign after a goalless first half.
Russo Credits Clinical Finishing After Break
The Arsenal forward explained how England waited patiently for spaces to open up before capitalizing ruthlessly after the interval. “We had to wait for the spaces to open up, and when they did, we were really clinical,” Russo stated. “It’s always nice to score quickly after half-time, it sets the tone.”
Chloe Kelly was named in the matchday squad but remained an unused substitute throughout the match as England cruised to three points without needing additional attacking reinforcements.
McCabe Scores in Republic of Ireland Defeat
Katie McCabe opened the scoring for Republic of Ireland despite suffering a 2-1 defeat at home to France in their World Cup qualifier. The Arsenal captain expressed her frustration after the match, believing her side deserved more from their performance against one of Europe’s elite nations.
“It stings because we put in such a shift tonight from start to finish,” McCabe admitted. “We pushed one of the best teams right up until the end of the game. We have to pick ourselves up, look where we can improve and go again on Saturday.”
Mariona Caldentey celebrated her 100th Spain appearance with an assist in their 3-0 victory over Iceland, while Laia Codina kept a clean sheet. Frida Maanum helped Norway beat Austria 1-0, and Smilla Holmberg starred in Sweden’s 1-0 win away to Italy.
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