Salzburg - Benfica - 1:3. Champions League. Match review, statistics

On 12 December, one of the matches of the Champions League took place. Salzburg (Austria) and Benfica (Lisbon) met.

Champions League

Salzburg (Austria) - Benfica (Lisbon ) - 1:3 (0:2)
Goals: Luka Sucic (57) - Di Maria (32), Rafa Silva (45+1), Cabral (90+2).

Warnings: Lucas Gourna-Duat (10), Felipe Morato (45+4), P. Ratkov (51), Musa (72), D. Kameri (82), A. Schlager (90)

Review of the match Salzburg - Benfica:

In a thrilling UEFA Champions League match played at the Red Bull Arena, Red Bull Salzburg hosted Benfica in which both teams showed their skill and determination. The 0-2 scoreline in favour of Benfica at half-time had the home side worried, but they managed to restore hope by scoring a goal in the second half. Unfortunately for Red Bull Salzburg, Benfica sealed the victory with an extra-time goal in the final minutes of the game, setting the final score at 1-3. The match started off with attacking action from both teams. However, in the 10th minute, Red Bull Salzburg's L. Gurna-Duat received a yellow card, which signalled the start of a tense struggle. The game continued with a fierce struggle in midfield until the 32nd minute, when Benfica's A. Di Maria put the ball into the net with a powerful shot, stunning the home fans and putting Benfica in the lead. Just before the break, in the 45th minute, Benfica scored again. Rafa Silva's goal further consolidated Benfica's lead over Red Bull Salzburg. However, both teams did not escape disciplinary sanctions: just before the break, Benfica's Morato received a yellow card. At the start of the second half, Benfica made their first substitution, bringing on K. Tengstedt instead of P. Musa. Red Bull Salzburg tried to turn the tide of the match and attacked, resulting in a yellow card for P. Ratkov in the 51st minute.

To inject fresh energy into the line-up, Red Bull Salzburg made two substitutions: P. Ratkov and D. Nene replaced Fernando and S. Coit respectively. Koit respectively. The 57th minute brought hope for Red Bull Salzburg when L. Sucic scored the decisive goal, cutting the lead to 1-2. Both teams continued to battle fiercely, creating chances at both ends of the pitch. In the 68th minute Benfica made a second substitution, replacing O. Koccia with G. Guedes. As the game progressed, tension grew, which led to a yellow card for Benfica's P. Musa in the 72nd minute. In the 76th minute, Red Bull Salzburg's S. Kojta decided to level the score, but his goal was cancelled due to an offside infringement. As time ticked away, both teams made substitutions to freshen up their lineups. Red Bull Salzburg replaced D. Kameri, who received a yellow card in the 82nd minute, with O. Gluch. A. Schlager received a yellow card in the 90th minute. In the last minutes of the game Benfica made the last substitution: Joao Mario replaced A. Cabral. It was then that Benfica dealt the final blow to Red Bull Salzburg: A. Cabral scored in the 90th minute, giving the away team a 1-3 victory. In the last attempt, Red Bull Salzburg introduced M. Bidstrup into the game instead of R. Simic in the 90th minute, but it was too little and too late. The match between Red Bull Salzburg and Benfica showed the competitiveness and skill level of both teams. Despite Red Bull Salzburg's decisive actions in the second half, Benfica's early lead proved decisive. As a result, both teams learnt important lessons for their future participation in the prestigious UEFA Champions League.

Statistics of the match Salzburg - Benfica: