Benfica puts one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals

Benfica continues to maintain the form that helped them become a phenomenon in this season's Champions League group stage. The Portuguese representative overwhelmed the opponent even though he had to play away from home. Thanks to a well-organized midfield, Benfica held the ball 55% of the time and finished 14 times.

Club Brugge only finished three times the whole game. The host's most notable attack situation was Denis Odoi's header at the end of the first half. But Odoi did not have a goal because the referee blew it offside.

Coach Scott Parker's team made many mistakes in the second half. Six minutes after the break, they received a penalty because Jack Hendry kicked Goncalo Ramos in the penalty area. Benfica captain Joao Mario then successfully used the opportunity to open the scoring. The away team kept the game after taking the lead, preventing Club Brugge from creating many sharp attacks.

When the game went to the last minute, the home defense again paid the price for making a mistake. In the 88th minute, Bjorn Meijer handled it awkwardly right in front of the penalty area, let David Neres steal the ball and then scored a goal to seal a 2-0 victory for Benfica. Club Brugge once lost 0-4 to another Portuguese representative this season, Porto, in the final match of the group stage.

Benfica will reach the quarter-finals if they lose by only one goal in the second leg in Lisbon on March 8. Their strength is maintained even though top star Enzo Fernandez moved to Chelsea last month. With an attack led by conductor Joao Mario and striker Goncalo Ramos, Benfica is the third-highest scorer in the Champions League this season, behind Napoli and Bayern.