Benfica secured a crucial victory in their Champions League play-off clash against Monaco, capitalizing on a numerical advantage after the dismissal of Monaco midfielder Moatasem Al-Musrati. The Portuguese side took the lead through a stunning chipped finish by Vangelis Pavlidis in the second half, and despite Monaco's efforts, Benfica held on to their lead.
Benfica secured a commanding advantage in their Champions League play-off with a crucial away victory against a numerically disadvantaged Monaco side. The Portuguese giants took the lead early in the second half through a sublime chipped finish from Vangelis Pavlidis, capitalizing on a tight angle opportunity. Monaco 's hopes were further dashed when midfielder Moatasem Al-Musrati received a second yellow card, reducing them to ten men for a significant portion of the second half.
Al-Musrati's dismissal stemmed from an attempt to influence the referee's decision, ironically leading to his own downfall on his Champions League debut. The first half had been relatively uneventful in terms of clear-cut chances, although Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin made a crucial save to deny Maghnes Akliouche's shot. Benfica's Alvaro Carreras, previously a Manchester United player, had two promising opportunities but failed to convert, while Monaco's Radoslaw Majecki thwarted his attempts. However, Benfica may face a blow in the return leg as Angel di Maria, the Argentine winger, was forced off late in the game due to a suspected hamstring injury.This victory marks the fourth encounter between these two teams in European competition, with Benfica boasting an unblemished record against their French counterparts. Their previous meetings have yielded one victory and one draw in the 2014-15 Champions League group stage, and a win in Monaco during this season's group stage. Notably, Monaco has struggled to find the net against Benfica, failing to score in two out of their three previous encounters. This play-off clash presents a unique scenario, as Benfica will face Monaco for the second time in the same European campaign, having already defeated them in the group stage in November (3-2).Monaco's record against Portuguese teams in the Champions League is limited, with only one victory in six encounters. This victory came against Sporting CP in the 1997-98 group stage (3-2). In contrast, Benfica has only suffered three defeats in their 13 Champions League clashes against French teams, with all three losses occurring away from home in the group stage. This match also highlights interesting individual statistics. Monaco's Eliesse Ben Seghir, if he features, will equal Kylian Mbappé's club record of nine Champions League appearances as a teenager. Vangelis Pavlidis, Benfica's forward, made an impressive 69 high-intensity pressures in the opposition half during their last Champions League match against Juventus, a feat that stands as the highest by any player in this season's competition.
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