A highly entertaining match saw Benfica come from a goal down to beat Feirense 2-1 in Santa Maria da Feira tonight. Moments after the hosts had seen a perfectly good Ludovic goal erroneously ruled out, centre-back Varela did put Feirense ahead with a thunderous header.

That was as good as it got for the defender, as he proceeded to score an own goal and give away a penalty that Cardozo dispatched to earn a hard-fought three points for the Eagles.

With a full strength squad at his disposal, Jorge Jesus was afforded the luxury of leaving Nolito and Nico Gaitan on the bench, preferring to start Bruno Cesar and Aimar as his attacking midfielders, behind the solid base provided by Javi Garcia and Witsel, and both Rodrigo and Oscar Cardozo up front.

The Eagles came into the match on the back of an eight-match winning run, But it was Feirense who looked the better team in the first half hour. Luciano headed narrowly over the bar twice, Diogo Cunhal’s cross drifted over Artur’s head and struck the top of the bar and Buval shot just wide from distance.

Benfica’s only threat during this time came from a delightful through ball by Aimar to release Rodrigo. The Spaniard’s cross-shot brought the first of what would become a series of top-drawer saves out of Feirense goalkeeper Paulo Lopes.

As the game neared the interval Benfica enjoyed a spell of sustained pressure, with Rodrigo twice coming close to breaking the deadlock. First the Brazilian-born marksman hit a rasping volley just over the bar, then some fine wing play by Witsel resulted in a pinpoint cross onto the head of Rodrigo, with Lopes denying the striker again with a magnificent reaction save to tip the ball over the bar.
 

The second half started like the first, with Feirense on top. A well worked move set Ludovic bearing down on goal, and his firm finish low past Artur triggered wild celebrations among the Feirense faithful, which were quickly curtailed as the goal was chalked off for offside. TV replays showed the officials had got it badly wrong, with Ludovic a good two metres behind the last defender when the pass was played. 

Feirense did not spend any time dwelling on injustice, however, as from a corner moments later Varela thumped a powerful header past the helpless Artur.

The lead did not last long, as Varela went from hero to villain in two minutes. Maxi’s long throw-in was headed on by Cardozo and Varela was unlucky to see the ball ricochet off his head and into his own net.

What had been an evenly contested game for an hour was turned Benfica’s way by a double substitution as Nolito and Nico Gaitan joined the fray. The Liga leaders immediately looked a more potent threat, with Maxi’s foraging runs down the right flank becoming an increasing feature of the match.

Gaitan headed a glaring chance wide and Lopes continued his personal battle with Rodrigo, denying the young striker with an instinctive save with his left foot. Rodrigo’s next piece of action was decisive as he drew a clumsy challenge from Varela in the box, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Oscar Cardozo stepped up and hammered the penalty straight into the middle of the net to put Benfica into the lead for the first time on the night in the 75th minute. The Paraguayan thus continues his incredible scoring streak, having now found the net at least once in each of his last eight appearances.

Ludovic was close to an equaliser on 78 minutes when only Emerson’s desperate lunge deflected his powerful goal-bound shot out for a corner.

Benfica saw out the last ten minutes without undue alarm, with Paulo Lopes saving well from Witsel and brilliantly from Rodrigo late on, but anything other than a one-goal differential would have been harsh on Feirense. Should Quim Machado’s team keep up this level of performance they will surely secure survival in the top flight.

As for Benfica, the Eagles can now sit back and watch how FC Porto will handle the fact they start tomorrow’s tricky away fixture at Gil Vicente five points adrift of the leaders.

Benfica:
Artur Moraes, Emerson, Garay, Maxi Pereira, Luisao, Witsel, Bruno Cesar (Gaitan, 60), Aimar (Nolito, 60), Javi Garcia, Rodrigo, Cardozo (Matic, 89)

Goals:
[1-0] Varela, 49
[1-1] Varela (own goal), 51
[1-2] Cardozo (penalty), 74

by Tom Kundert

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