Benfica Lisbon has secured the entry into the quarter-finals of the soccer Champions League in a sovereign manner. The Portuguese, coached by ex-Salzburg coach Roger Schmidt, won the round of 16 second leg against Club Brugge 5-1 in front of their home crowd on Tuesday evening and after the 2-0 away win they even retained the upper hand 7-1 overall. Benfica is among the top eight teams for the second time in a row, in 2022 they lost to Liverpool (1: 3 / 3: 3).
The Portuguese had already laid the foundation for promotion in Belgium and finally made everything clear with a double strike shortly before the break. Rafa Silva made it 1-0 (38th) after a 70-meter sprint and a perfect counterattack after a pass from Goncalo Ramos. In injury time in the first half, the assist provider then shone as an executor himself after Joao Mario’s preparatory work. In the 57th minute, the Portuguese team striker put together his brace after assisting Grimaldo.
For the Belgians it was even more bitter. Joao Mario (71st) scored from the penalty spot and thus in the fifth Champions League game in a row. In addition, David Neres (77th) also entered the shooter list. At the end of the day, the guests at least managed to score a consolation goal, which was scored by Björn Meijer (87th). Schmidt can now try for the first time in his coaching career in April in the quarter-finals of the “premier class”. The draw will take place on March 17th.