BAMAKO (Interstat) — Mali W scored three times before halftime and three more after the break to beat Benin W 6-2 on Tuesday in a global football match that swung firmly in the home side’s favor after an early breakthrough.

Mali W opened the scoring in the 26th minute, turning pressure into the first goal of the game. The home side doubled its lead in the 45th minute plus six minutes of first-half stoppage time, sending the teams into the interval with a two-goal cushion. Mali W then made it 3-0 in the 52nd minute, converting another attacking sequence early in the second half.

Benin W responded with a pair of goals that briefly changed the mood. The visiting side pulled one back in the 67th minute and struck again in the 75th minute, trimming the deficit to 3-2 and forcing Mali W to restore order. For a short stretch, Benin W pressed for an equalizer and made the closing stages more tense than the first hour had suggested.

Mali W answered in the 79th minute, restoring a two-goal advantage. The home team added another goal in the 81st minute and completed the scoring in the 86th minute, closing out a six-goal performance. The late surge removed any doubt about the result and gave Mali W a convincing margin after Benin W had threatened to make it a one-goal game.

From the opening whistle, Mali W looked to play forward and was rewarded when the first goal arrived. That strike set the tone for a first half in which the home side created the clearer chances and capitalized on its best moments. The second goal, deep in first-half stoppage time, was especially damaging for Benin W because it came just before the break and forced the visitors to chase the game after halftime.

Benin W did not fold. The visitors came out with more urgency after halftime and found a way back into the match with goals in the 67th and 75th minutes. At 3-2, the game was suddenly within reach, and Benin W had momentum. But Mali W steadied itself and produced the decisive stretch of the match.

The win moved Mali W to 1-1 in the competition and 1-1 across all competitions. Benin W also sits at 1-1 in the competition and 1-1 across all competitions. Benin W had won the earlier meeting between the teams this season, taking that contest 3-1, but Mali W reversed the outcome in the rematch with a much more decisive attacking display.

Mali W’s scoring was spread across the match, with a strong start, a brief lapse after Benin W’s two goals, and a late finish that sealed the result. Benin W’s two second-half goals were not enough to complete the comeback, as the visitors could not find a third goal after cutting the lead to one. The game remained open through the middle of the second half before Mali W pulled away.

The result leaves both teams level after two matches, with each side having one win and one loss. Mali W scored three goals from the 79th minute onward, while Benin W managed two goals during its comeback attempt. The match was the second meeting of the season between the teams, following Benin W’s 3-1 victory in the first.

Mali W’s three late goals in the 79th, 81st and 86th minutes turned a close contest into a rout. The home side finished with six goals, while Benin W finished with two. The final whistle confirmed a dominant close for Mali W and a frustrating finish for Benin W after the visitors had made the score 3-2.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Benin W 3, Mali W 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Mali W with a 61.6 percent probability to win.