Benfica, Inter’s opponents in the Champions League, defeated again

At the last second, Benfica collapsed again. After the defeats against Porto and Inter, Schmidt’s team – who until March had lost just one match in the season – make up another knockout at Chaves, twelfth in Liga Portugal. The Aguias re-propose for nine elevenths the same formation lined up in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, wasting a couple of chances and conceding a goal in the 95th minute. Captain Otamendi’s mistake was decisive, giving the opponents the ball to make it 1-0. The red and white, at the top of +10 before the last two days, now have just four points ahead of the chasing Porto.

Few changes

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Schmidt doesn’t make too many calculations and, for the third time in eight days, chooses the starters without paying attention to the turnover. Compared to Tuesday’s match against Inter, Otamendi (suspended for the first leg of the Champions League) is back in central defence. Also inside Neres in place of the injured Florentino Luis, with Aursnes climbing on the midfield line. The first half was dominated by Benfica in possession, but not in the occasions: Chaves held the punch and defended well, while the red and white bet strongly on the right axis. At half an hour Gilberto enters the area and serves in tow Antonio Silva who shoots high. Three minutes later, Otamendi is dangerous with a goring, saved by Vitor.

The recovery

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As often happens, Benfica are a diesel that exalts themselves in the second half. In the 1st minute of the second half, Grimaldo offered Joao Mario the ball to make it 1-0, which was rejected on the goal line by an opposing defender. Aguias raise their center of gravity and risk big. In the 52nd minute they lose the ball in the trocar: Chaves immediately verticals for Juninho who burns Antonio Silva, runs 50 meters but gets hypnotized by Vlachodimos. Otamendi and his teammates don’t change strategy, they stay high and spin the ball while waiting for the right opening, even if they often get lost in refinement close to the opponent’s area. The big names refuse very little: Joao Mario and Gonçalo Ramos remain on the pitch until the 80th minute and, after their substitution, finding the way to goal is even more complicated.

Fire ending

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In added time they see all the colors: Vitor performs a miracle on a header by Otamendi, who in the 95th minute condemns the red and white to a third consecutive defeat. On a relaunch from the opposing goalkeeper, the Argentine missed the stop and delivered the ball to Abass, who entered the penalty area undisturbed and beat Vlachodimos. The game ends 1-0, Porto takes advantage of it: after the direct clash won against Benfica a week ago, the Coinceçao team beats Santa Clara 2-1 and moves to -4 from first place.