Tag: Benfica

Vinicius Junior scored the winner on the night as Real Madrid beat Benfica 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, progressing 3-1 on aggregate to the last 16.

It was the Brazilian forward’s superb goal which separated the teams in a first leg marred by an incident of alleged racial abuse aimed at him by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, who denies it.

Jose Mourinho’s side were still alive in the play-off round tie and took the lead early on at the Santiago Bernabeu through Rafa Silva, although Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni swiftly levelled.

Benfica gave the record 15-time champions a rough ride, but fittingly, Vinicius, who never hides from the spotlight, scored on 80 minutes to effectively end the contest.

“That is our Vinicius,” Tchouameni proudly told Movistar after the Brazilian’s winner. “To be honest, we didn’t start the game very well, but we kept our confidence.”

It was Portuguese coach Mourinho’s first time back at the Santiago Bernabeu since he coached Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, but he could not lead his team from the dugout because of a suspension.

After a week dominated by the fallout from the first leg, Vinicius lined up for Real Madrid alongside Gonzalo Garcia, who stepped in for the injured French superstar Kylian Mbappe.

“(Vini) had a great game,” Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa told Movistar. “Unbalancing them, scoring, creating a lot of danger every time he took them on.”

Benfica were without banned midfielder Prestianni, after an appeal against his provisional one-game sanction was turned down earlier on Wednesday, with UEFA still investigating the incident.

Madrid hung a large banner reading “no to racism” at one end, with the game played under the shadow of what happened last week in Lisbon.

There were boos for Vinicius from the visiting Benfica fans, and he prodded wide in the early stages, appealing in vain for a penalty as Nicolas Otamendi collided with him after he got his shot away.

Benfica took a deserved lead in the 14th minute as Madrid defender Raul Asencio clumsily turned the ball towards his own goal.

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Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois kept the ball out, but Silva was on hand to bundle home from close range.

Stung into action, Madrid pulled level two minutes later through Tchouameni. The French midfielder finished with aplomb from the edge of the box from rampaging team-mate Federico Valverde’s cross.

Madrid thought they had gone ahead on the night when Arda Guler stabbed home a loose ball after Garcia’s shot was blocked, but the Spanish striker had edged offside, and it was disallowed after a VAR review.

Courtois made a fine save from Richard Rios before the break, as Benfica turned up the pressure.

Silva hit the bar with a deflected effort before the hour mark as Mourinho’s side at times pinned back the hosts.

Madrid were dealt a setback as Asencio was forced off on a stretcher after colliding with Eduardo Camavinga.

“It’s his neck, but it doesn’t seem like it will be that bad,” said Arbeloa, who confirmed the defender was being taken to the hospital for tests.

It had to be Vinicius who settled the tie, though, and Valverde played him scuttling through on goal, with the Brazilian calmly rolling a low shot past goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.

Vinicius produced another celebratory dance by the corner flag, as he had done in the first leg in the run-up to the flashpoint with Prestianni, and to the chagrin of Mourinho.

“I’m happy that Vini’s dancing, still dancing, because it means he’s scoring goals,” said Courtois.

This time, the 25-year-old just had thousands of jubilant fans jumping up and down before him, and his goal confirmed Madrid’s passage to the last 16.

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Vinicius Junior scored a sensational goal to earn Real Madrid a 1-0 Champions League play-off first leg victory at Benfica on Tuesday, although the match was marred by apparent racist abuse aimed at the Brazilian.

Having curled a stunning shot into the top corner in the 50th minute, Vinicius argued with Gianluca Prestianni, after which he complained to French referee Francois Letexier, who halted the match for more than 10 minutes as he applied the racism protocol.

Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni said Vinicius told his team-mates that Prestianni called him a “monkey”.

“Vini is doing good, calm,” Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa told Movistar. “(What happened) is something that nobody likes, you have to ask the Benfica player what he said.

“(Racism) is something we have to eradicate from the world of football and if the players don’t fix it then this is very complicated.”

Benfica coach Jose Mourinho was sent off in the final stages of a spiky game for complaining too vociferously, meaning he will miss the second leg against his former team at the Santiago Bernabeu next week.

Arbeloa’s Madrid earned a narrow and nervy victory at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon to take an advantage into that clash, as well as avenging their dramatic 4-2 defeat by Benfica in the league phase.

That collapse dragged the record 15-time champions down into the play-off round while helping Mourinho’s side reach it by the skin of their teeth.

However, this was a far different affair, with Arbeloa’s Madrid much sturdier than a few weeks ago.

They were bolstered by French superstar Kylian Mbappe’s return after he sat out of their last game because of knee discomfort.

Vinicius, back to his vibrant best since Arbeloa replaced Xabi Alonso at the helm in January, dragged the first good chance of the game inches wide of the far post.

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Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a fine save to keep out Fredrik Aursnes’s deflected effort from distance as Benfica held their own.

Madrid’s quality began to shine through before the interval, with Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, who scored a stunning late goal when the teams met in January, denying Mbappe and Arda Guler.

The Ukrainian stopper could do nothing, though, about Vinicius’s sensational strike after 50 minutes.

On the left of the area, with nothing else on, Vinicius curled a sumptuous effort into the top corner to put Madrid ahead.

The Brazilian was booked for his dancing celebration in front of Benfica’s supporters.

That sparked an exchange with Prestianni, who pulled his shirt over his mouth before seeming to say something to Vinicius.

The Brazilian then ran over to Letexier and, pointing at Prestianni, said that he had been called “mono”, the Spanish word for monkey.

“Vini told us that the guy called him a ‘monkey’ with his shirt (raised over his mouth),” Tchouameni told Movistar later.

The official activated the racism protocol, and Vinicius sat in Madrid’s dug-out, with the game on hold for several minutes.

When the game eventually resumed, Vinicius was jeered by Benfica supporters and was denied three times by Trubin in the minutes that followed.

Mourinho was sent off in the 85th minute as he appealed for a second yellow card for Vinicius, costing him a spot on the bench back at his old hunting ground, where he led Madrid between 2010 and 2013.

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Benfica coach Jose Mourinho insisted he is capable of saying no to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez as he played down rumours of a return to the Spanish giants on Monday.

Mourinho’s Benfica host Real Madrid in a Champions League play-off round clash on Tuesday, before the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu next week.

The 63-year-old Portuguese coach, who led Madrid between 2010 and 2013, has a clause in his contract with Benfica which would allow him to depart the club, fuelling rumours Perez may turn to him again next season.

Mourinho guided Benfica to a 4-2 victory over Alvaro Arbeloa’s Real Madrid in the league phase of the Champions League in January, leading both teams to face each other again in the two-legged play-off round.

“Can you say no? Yes,” Mourinho told reporters when asked if he could reject an approach from the Madrid chief. “Yes, you can.”

Mourinho admitted he has a “great friendship” with Perez and a permanent connection with Madrid, but said the break clause was agreed because of the Benfica presidential elections, which were approaching in November 2025, a few weeks after he signed his contract.

“I gave everything to Real Madrid, everything that I had, I did good things, I did bad things, but I gave absolutely everything, and that’s all,” said Mourinho.

“When (someone) leaves a club with those type of feelings, I think a connection always exists… the fans think highly of me, and that is fantastic, but with this, I don’t want to encourage stories that don’t exist…

“The only thing that exists is that I have another year on my contract with Benfica. It’s a special contract because it was signed in an electoral period.”

Mourinho said the deal was signed to protect a hypothetical new president, although in the end, Rui Costa was re-elected.

“There is a clause that is very easy for both me and Benfica to break the contract, but the only thing that exists is the contract with Benfica, and there is nothing with Real Madrid,” said Mourinho.

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“I would very much like to eliminate Real Madrid (from the Champions League), but I would like Alvaro to win La Liga and for Alvaro to stay at Madrid for many years.

“I think he’s a coach with a lot of capability and a boy who has Madrid within him, and with the personality to coach Madrid, which isn’t something anyone can do.”

Mourinho said he expected a different game to the one his side dominated in Lisbon against Madrid in January, and highlighted the power of Arbeloa’s side, record 15-time champions.

“The Real Madrid I expect tomorrow is the Real Madrid who are number one favourites to win the Champions League,” added Mourinho.

Arbeloa said, despite his good relationship with Mourinho, he was determined to reach the last 16.

“My objective is to eliminate Benfica, and after that he can win everything else, after that I wish him the best,” explained Arbeloa.

The coach would not reveal whether French superstar Kylian Mbappe was ready to start the game, after knee discomfort kept him on the bench last weekend in the win over Real Sociedad.

“Kylian came with us, he will train and tomorrow you will see if he plays or doesn’t,” said Arbeloa.

Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga said Los Blancos were out for revenge at the Estadio da Luz.

“I think we have to change our mentality (from the league phase game), we’re better on that front now, we have to attack and defend together,” Camavinga told reporters.

“We want to play a great game, because losing a game like that was tough for our fans… we want to win tomorrow with the spirit of revenge.”

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Jose Mourinho condemned his former employers to a ninth-placed finish in the league phase as his Benfica side beat Real Madrid 4-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday, with a stoppage-time header by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin keeping the Portuguese alive in the competition.

A third defeat of the campaign for Madrid, coupled with wins for Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City, meant Madrid missed out on the top eight and will have to play in the two-legged knockout play-off round.

“We knew where we were coming from, what we were coming into, how difficult it would be, and obviously it got the better of us,” new Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa told Movistar.

“I think we were far from the level we need to show. I’ve said it these past few days: we’ve got a lot to improve.”

Benfica, on the other hand, will not turn their noses up at the extra games after ‘keeper Trubin sensationally nodded in a 98th-minute goal to snatch the last qualification spot on goal difference.

Earlier, Kylian Mbappe netted a brace as Andreas Schjelderup scored twice and Vangelis Pavlidis converted a penalty for the hosts.

For Mourinho, who coached Madrid between 2010 and 2013, it was a first victory at the second time of asking against his old club since departing them.

“I think it was deserved, really deserved… for Benfica it’s an incredible prestige to beat Real Madrid,” Mourinho said.

Friday’s draw will reveal if Benfica face a rematch against Madrid or 10th-placed Inter Milan, with whom Mourinho won the competition in 2010.

“I can’t say I prefer one or the other because going to Madrid I like a lot and I’ve not gone there, to go to Milan I like a lot, and I don’t go there either,” he said.

“Madrid and Inter are teams that can win the Champions League, and we are a team that at most can do something incredible.”

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Much the livelier side in the opening period, Benfica thought they had a penalty on the quarter-hour when the referee pointed to the spot following a Jude Bellingham challenge from behind on Gianluca Prestianni, but the decision was overturned on review.

Mourinho was left shaking his head again moments later as Prestianni popped up in space on the left of the Madrid box and shaped a fine curling effort for which Thibaut Courtois needed all of his two-metre frame to tip onto the crossbar.

Mourinho’s side soon, however, paid for their profligacy as Mbappe brought his Champions League tally this term to 12 goals with a clinical back-post header on the half-hour.

But next it was Madrid who were made to pay for over-confidence as the Portuguese side caught them desperately short on the counter six minutes after their opener.

Raul Asencio was the only navy-shirted player in the Madrid half as Benfica launched into a counter, but the Spaniard was left slipping and sliding on the turf as Pavlidis went past him and centred for Schjelderup to nod home.

The home side then got the lead their performance deserved after Aurelien Tchouameni was penalised for a shirt pull on Nicolas Otamendi from a corner, and Pavlidis stroked the resulting spot-kick straight down the middle five minutes into stoppage time.

The hosts won the ball and sprang forward on 54 minutes, with Schjelderup supplying another clinical finish after cutting past Asencio on the edge of the box.

Rodrygo Goes replaced the ineffectual Franco Mastantuono in the immediate aftermath, and the Brazilian combined out wide with Arda Guler to set up the unmarked Mbappe, who unerringly fired home from 15 yards in the 58th minute.

The clock ticked into the final 20 minutes with everything still in the balance and Benfica’s presence in the knockout play-offs fluctuating with results elsewhere in Europe.

Aided by Madrid going down to nine as Asencio and Rodrygo received late dismissals, Benfica looked set for heartbreak as they were sitting in 25th place, level on nine points with Marseille but with fewer goals scored.

The Estadio da Luz then erupted deep in injury time as Trubin turned the unlikeliest of heroes as he nodded in from a free-kick to send Benfica through.

“We were lucky to get a set-piece where Trubin, at two metres tall, goes up there and scores a fantastic goal, a historic goal, a goal that nearly brought the whole stadium down — and I think it was very deserved for us,” Mourinho said.

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Jose Mourinho began his second spell in charge of Benfica with a comfortable 3-0 win at AVS on Saturday.

Heorhiy Sudakov opened the scoring at the end of the first half for the visitors, with Vangelis Pavlidis netting the second from the penalty spot before the hour mark.

Franjo Ivanovic rounded off the rout for Benfica, who moved second in the table, five points behind leaders Porto, having played one fewer match.

The veteran Portuguese coach, back at the helm of the Eagles 25 years on, celebrated the third goal furiously, pumping his fist and kicking a cone.

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The 62-year-old, who also coached Porto in the Portuguese top flight before leaving in 2004 to join Chelsea, will face both those teams within the next 15 days.

Mourinho, who won trophies with Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Inter Milan, as well as coaching various other sides, was sacked by Fenerbahce in August.

Benfica ousted coach Bruno Lage this week after a surprise defeat in the Champions League by Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag and appointed Mourinho as his replacement on Thursday.

His first spell at the club lasted just 11 games, but Mourinho said on his presentation that he was more “mature” and “altruistic” now.

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Benfica sacked coach Bruno Lage following Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to minnows Qarabag, the club announced, with some media reports claiming that Jose Mourinho is in line to take over.

Mourinho actually began his coaching career at Benfica but quit after just two and a half months before making his name at the Lisbon giants’ arch rivals, Porto.

He was dismissed by Fenerbahce last month after just over a year in the job following the Turkish side’s elimination from the Champions League qualifying competition, ironically at the hands of Benfica.

The Eagles led 2-0 early on at home to Azerbaijan’s Qarabag on Tuesday before falling to a shock 3-2 reverse in their opening league stage game.

“We have just reached an agreement with Bruno Lage, who today leaves his post as Benfica coach,” former Portugal midfielder Rui Costa, the club’s president, told reporters late Tuesday.

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Lage, who was in his second spell at Benfica, was already under pressure after his team dropped their first league points of the season away to Santa Clara at the weekend.

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Costa said that Benfica expected to have their new coach in charge in time for Saturday’s league encounter with AVS.

All three of Portugal’s sports dailies mentioned 62-year-old Mourinho as a possible successor.

A Bola said that Benfica wanted to negotiate with the self-styled “Special One”.

Mourinho’s previous spell at Benfica lasted just 11 matches at the back end of 2000. Still, after impressing at Uniao de Leiria, he joined Porto and guided them to back-to-back league titles and the Champions League crown in 2004.

That set him on the path to a hugely successful career coaching Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid before his fortunes started to nose-dive after joining Manchester United in 2016.

Lage won the Portuguese Primeira Liga in 2019 in his first spell with Benfica, while last season he guided them to Portuguese Cup success.

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Sporting Lisbon were crowned champions of Portugal for only the second time in 21 years on Sunday after second-placed Benfica lost.

Last season’s victors stumbled 2-0 at Famalicao to complete Sporting’s triumph after Ruben Amorim’s triumphant side thrashed Portimonense 3-0 on Saturday.

Sporting Lisbon, the division’s top scorers by far with 92 goals in 32 matches, are eight points clear of Benfica with just two games remaining.

Amorim’s side have lost just two times this season on the way to securing the club’s 20th league title, trailing Porto on 30 and record winners Benfica on 38.

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Swedish forward Viktor Gyokeres’ goals have powered Sporting’s title success and he netted his 27th of the campaign on Saturday to wrap up their victory.

The striker signed from Coventry City last summer for a club-record fee of 20 million euros ($21.5 million) plus add-ons.

It is the second league trophy brought to the club by former Benfica player Amorim, who led Sporting to glory in the 2020/21 season.

Sporting will face Porto in the Portuguese Cup final on May 26, aiming to secure a double.

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LISBON: Paris Saint-Germain were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw away to Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday despite Lionel Messi’s brilliant curling strike.

The Argentina star scored midway through the first half in Lisbon but Danilo Pereira’s own goal before the break ensured PSG and Benfica remain level at the top of Group H on seven points.

Both clubs failed to win for just the second time this season in all competitions but are four points clear of Juventus, who bounced back from successive defeats to beat Maccabi Haifa 3-1 at home.

“We know it’s difficult to play at this ground, with this atmosphere. Benfica are a team in form,” PSG captain Marquinhos told Canal Plus.

Messi only scored 11 goals in 34 games in his first season for PSG last term, but already has eight in 13 this time around.

“It’s normal, it takes a little time,” said Marquinhos. “Now he feels a little more comfortable… I hope Leo Messi has a great season until the end to win this title.”

Sitting top of the Portuguese league despite dropping their first points at the weekend, Benfica’s high pressing rattled PSG as the hosts made a bright start.

Goncalo Ramos, who drew interest in the summer from PSG, saw his effort blocked by Gianluigi Donnarumma’s leg after he raced onto a long ball in behind the defence.

Ramos then stung the palms of Donnarumma from distance before the Italy goalkeeper produced a terrific save to deflect David Neres’ shot wide.

But PSG’s vaunted three-man attack of Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe suddenly sparked into life and the visitors surged ahead as the Argentine finished the move he started in style.

Messi’s pass to Mbappe was helped on to Neymar, whose smart lay-off was whipped into the far top corner first-time by Messi for his 127th Champions League goal.

Donnarumma again intervened to deny Benfica by parrying Antonio Silva’s strike to safety, but the hosts got the equaliser their play deserved just before half-time.

Enzo Fernandez was afforded far too much space to swing in a teasing cross from the left that Danilo inadvertently glanced in as he tried to track Ramos.

Neymar twice went close to restoring PSG’s lead early in the second half, clipping the bar with an inventive overhead kick and forcing Odysseas Vlachodimos to punch away his free-kick.

Achraf Hakimi could only drill straight at the Benfica ‘keeper after being played in by Messi, while Benfica defender Nicolas Otamendi glanced a free-kick just past the post at the other end.

Both sides continued to create chances. Mbappe’s curling shot was turned behind by a sprawling Vlachodimos, with Donnarumma spreading himself to thwart Rafa Silva after a marauding run.

But there was ultimately nothing to separate two sides who are unbeaten this season, and will meet again in six days’ time at the Parc des Princes.

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