Benfica's clinical performance on Tuesday night saw them thrash Club Brugge 5-1 in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie, securing a 7-1 aggregate win and progressing to the quarter-finals. Led by a tireless Joao Mario and the in-form Goncalo Ramos, Benfica demonstrated exactly why they are considered one of Portugal's best teams, putting on a display reminiscent of the country's last Champions League-winning side, Jose Mourinho's Porto, who lifted the trophy 19 years ago.
Champions Clubs:
The game got off to a promising start for Benfica, with Joao Mario almost scoring in the first minute, only for the goal to be disallowed by VAR for an offside in the build-up. Undeterred, Benfica continued to pile on the pressure, and it was only a matter of time before they took the lead. In the 38th minute, Rafa Silva dribbled past two defenders before firing a left-footed strike into the net to open the scoring for Benfica.
Ramos then scored two goals on either side of half-time, with the first being a brilliant individual effort in which he dribbled past three players inside the box before slotting the ball home. In the 57th minute, he extended the lead with a first-time shot from Alex Grimaldo's clever low cross. Joao Mario added a fourth for Benfica from the spot in the 71st minute after a foul by Abakar Sylla, before substitute David Neres netted the fifth seven minutes later. Brugge managed to pull one back through Bjorn Meijer three minutes from time, but it was little consolation for the shell-shocked visitors.
The win was no surprise given Brugge's recent form. Struggling in the Belgian league, they had come into the game off the back of an embarrassing 3-0 loss to lowly Oostende at the weekend and are currently languishing fourth in the standings, having won just two of their last 15 matches in all competitions. In contrast, Benfica remain unbeaten in this season's Champions League and have lost only two competitive games this term, both to Braga and one of those on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Portuguese Cup. They are currently on a seven-game winning streak in the Primeira Liga, having scored 18 goals and conceded just one.
Conclusion:
Speaking after the game, Rafa Silva was keen to emphasize that Benfica's focus remains on winning every game they play going forward. "We have one objective and it's winning every game we play going forward," he said. "Things are going well because the team is working hard. We will go game by game, first think about what is next in the Portuguese league on the weekend and winning it. That's what matters now, and we will think about the (Champions League) quarter-finals when the time comes."
Benfica will now turn their attention to the next round of the Champions League, where they will face tough opposition in the form of some of Europe's top teams. However, if they continue to play with the same clinical efficiency and intensity that they displayed on Tuesday night, they will surely be a force to be reckoned with as they look to make a serious challenge for the Champions League trophy.
