Benfica Lisbon against PSV Eindhoven – What already sounds like Champions League is “only” the fight for one of the last tickets for this year’s top flight.
For the first leg in the Estadio da Luz, Benfica coach Jorge Jesus relied on ex-Dortmund Weigl, among others, and newcomer Yaremchuk started in the centre of the attack. Waldschmidt, who has been linked with VfL Wolfsburg, was initially only on the bench.
For Eindhoven, coached by Roger Schmidt, Mwene, who joined PSV from Mainz in the summer, started at right back alongside Max and Götze.
PSV four games without conceding a goal – but then comes Rafa
In front of a crowd of just under 22,000, both teams were brimming with confidence: Benfica had started the league with two wins, PSV had even won all six of their competitive matches to date and had gone four games without conceding a goal. An insurmountable defensive bulwark, then? Not at all, as Benfica proved after just ten minutes: Yaremchuk passed to Rafa, who didn’t hit the ball perfectly, but the ball spun into the far corner (10th).
After that, PSV had more possession and the better play, especially Grimaldo had problems with the lively Madueke on his left side of defence. But Götze & Co. did not create any big chances, Zahavi was just offside when he scored (29.), then Vlachodimos saved from Gakpo (34.).
Weigl increases before the break, Gakpo answers shortly afterwards
Lisbon didn’t really find their feet offensively for a long time, but then struck again before the break: from a corner kick, which was preceded by a strong shot by Lucas Verissimo, the ball landed at the feet of Weigl, who made it 2:0 (42.) – bitter for the visitors, who had done so much for the game.
Without any changes in personnel, but with a lot of desire for football, both teams came out of the catacombs. Van Ginkel (49th) on one side, Rafa on the other (51st), before seconds later Gakpo completed a PSV counter-attack for the equaliser (51st). The all-important away goal – what would have been said last season because from this season onwards the away goal rule no longer exists in the Champions League.
Who will return to the top flight?
After that, the game got more heated, with German referee Dr Felix Brych having to show some cautions. Madueke was hardly to be seen, but Gakpo kept on turning up the heat and was difficult to catch, Vlachodimos had to save several times (70th, 77th). But after that, due to the many changes, a break in the game took place, from which PSV was not to recover. The result was 2-1 for Benfica and the first defeat of the season for the Dutch.
