Benfica beat Monaco 4-3 on aggregate after an extraordinary six-goal UEFA Champions League clash in Lisbon.
Benfica doubled their aggregate lead to 2-0 in the 22nd minute, but Monaco staged an incredible fightback through goals from Takumi Minamino and Eliesse Ben Seghir. Vangelis Pavlidis scored to put Benfica back in front, but George Ilenikhena’s goal for Monaco set the tie for extra time – until Orkun Kökçü’s 84th minute winner.
Monaco were impressive on the night, but they can only have themselves to blame with two lapses of concentration proving costly.
As it happened
Monaco came into the second leg needing to overturn a one-goal deficit in Lisbon with key players such as the likes of Vanderson, Denis Zakaria and Aleksandr Golovin missing through injury and suspension. Things kept going against them early on when Breel Embolo went down in the box, but there was not enough contact from Anatoliy Trubin to award a spot kick.
The match was set for an end-to-end affair from early on, with Benfica not willing to sit on their narrow lead. The hosts’ pressure paid off when Leandro Barreiro stole the ball from Monaco’s Wilfried Singo, setting up Vangelis Pavlidis to cross to an unmarked Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu at the back post. The Turkish international tapped home easily to double Benfica’s aggregate lead in the 22nd minute.
Embed from Getty ImagesMonaco clawed their way back into the tie ten minutes later – Embolo battled against Nicolás Otamendi, making space for former Liverpool man Takumi Minamino to earn Monaco a deserved equaliser on the night and pull them back to 2-1 down on aggregate. Buoyed by their goal and with Benfica looking rattled, Monaco came agonisingly close to drawing level just before halftime. Maghnes Akliouche carried the ball from the halfway line to tee up Embolo with a glorious chance – just for the Swiss striker to blaze the ball over the bar.
Monaco picked up from where they left off with Seghir forcing Trubin into a good save less than a minute after the restart. Despite missing plenty of key players, Adi Hütter’s side put up an impressive effort – and got their reward in the 51st minute. A neat move involving Akliouche and Embolo set up Seghir perfectly to fire past Trubin and level the tie on aggregate.
However, Monaco proved the architects of their own downfall. In the 76th minute, VAR judged former West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer to have clumsily caught Fredrik Aursnes late in the box. Pavlidis, who had already scored against Monaco in their two previous meetings, put Benfica back in front.
Embed from Getty ImagesBenfica’s lead was once again short-lived when a mistake from Otamendi allowed 18-year-old substitute George Ilenikhena in on goal. Somehow, though his effort was right at Trubin, the Ukrainian keeper couldn’t keep it out and Monaco were again level in the 81st minute.
After Ilenikhena’s goal extra time seemed certain – but nothing is certain in Champions League football. Benfica’s Álvaro Carreras delivered an outstanding cross that Orkun Kökçü just nudged past Radosław Majecki, sparking incredible scenes in the crowd and on the sidelines. Three goals in less than ten minutes saw Benfica claw their way back from what could have been an incredible upset.
In added time it looked like Benfica would win another penalty and seal their place in the round of 16. Krépin Diatta was judged to have fouled Samuel Dahl. However, a very lengthy VAR check showed Diatta winning the ball before bringing down Dahl and the referee’s decision was reversed.
Monaco sent everyone forward as they desperately tried to send the game to extra time, but to no avail. It was an incredible effort but ultimately they only had themselves to blame after two costly defensive mistakes. Benfica will breathe a deep sigh of relief as they were the second-best team for large parts of the night, but can now look forward to seeing their next opponent in the round of 16 draw on Friday 21st February.
The lineups
BEN: Trubin; Araújo, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Aursnes, Barreiro, Kökçü, Aktürkoğlu, Pavlidis, Schjelderup
MON: Majecki, Singo, Kehrer, Mawissa; Diatta, Camara, Minamino, Henrique; Akliouche, Ben Seghir, Embolo
