Sharjah24: Benfica of Portugal returned to winning ways in the UEFA Champions League with a thrilling 3-2 victory over their hosts, AS Monaco, in the fifth round of the group stage.
At the Stade Louis II, Monaco took an early lead through Moroccan player Elias Ben Slimane in the 13th minute. However, Greek player Evangelos Pavlidis equalized for Benfica in the 48th minute.
Monaco was reduced to ten men after Ivorian player Wilfried Songo was sent off in the 58th minute for a second yellow card. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the French side managed to take the lead again with a goal from Songoto Magassa in the 67th minute.
The match continued to deliver excitement as Brazilian Arthur Cabral equalized for Benfica in the 85th minute, before his Swiss teammate Zaki Amdouni scored the winning goal for the Portuguese team in the 88th minute.
With this victory, Benfica, who had lost to Feyenoord Rotterdam and Bayern Munich in the previous two rounds, raised their points total to 9, placing them in fourteenth position. Meanwhile, Monaco's tally remained at 10 points, marking their first loss in the tournament, having achieved 3 wins and 1 draw, placing them in eighth position.
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