Benfica lose 3-1 to Barcelona, out of the Champions League | OneFootball

Benfica's women's football team lost to Barcelona (3-1) this Wednesday, December 10, in a match valid for the fifth round of the Champions League. Playing at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, the Eagles were defeated once again and are thus eliminated from the competition.

The game started intensely, with the home team creating several goal opportunities. Ewa Pajor opened the scoring in the 29th minute, in a well-worked play with Alexia Putellas. Benfica still responded with a goal from Chandra Davidson early in the second half, but an own goal by Christy Ucheibe in the 54th minute restored Barcelona's lead.

Laia Aleixandri, in the 58th minute, sealed the score with a precise shot after a corner. Despite the defeat, Benfica’s goalkeeper, Lena Pauels, stood out with several decisive saves that prevented a heavier loss. Benfica showed some resistance, but the superiority of the neighboring country’s team proved fatal.

With this defeat – the fifth in 15 matches played – the team led by Ivan Baptista - who recently spoke about the tight schedule - remain with one point in the Champions League and are in 15th place. The Catalans lead the table with 13 points. PSG, Roma (with one game less), and Polten are at the bottom of the standings, also with one point.

Benfica’s women’s football team returns to action next Sunday, December 14, against Damaiense, a team coached by Kristján Gudmundsson. The match, corresponding to the fourth round of the Portuguese Cup, will be played at the Estádio do Algarve, in Loulé.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.