Club Brugge 0-2 Benfica: Scott Parker's managerial CL debut falls flat
Club Brugge 0-2 Benfica: Scott Parker’s managerial Champions League debut falls flat as Joao Mario and David Neres condemn his Belgian side to a last-16 first-leg defeat
Scott Parker’s managerial debut in the Champions League fell flat last night as his Club Bruges side lost 2-0 at home to Benfica in their last 16 first leg.
Parker, 42, was sacked by Bournemouth in August just three days after losing 9-0 at Liverpool, but swapped a relegation battle for the Champions League knockout stages on New Year’s Eve when he landed the Bruges job.
He has won only one of his first seven league games in Belgium and his troubles continued last night when Benfica’s Joao Mario converted a penalty on 51 minutes, after Scotland centre back Jack Hendry had fouled Goncalo Ramos.
David Neres pounced on a defensive mix-up to double the visitors’ lead in the 89th minute, leaving Parker with a mountain to climb in the second leg in Lisbon on March 7.
Bruges have not reached a European Cup quarter-final since they made it to the final in 1978 — when they lost 1-0 to Liverpool at Wembley.
Scott Parker’s managerial debut in the Champions League fell flat last night as his Club Bruges side lost 2-0 at home to Benfica in their last 16 first leg
Bruges have not reached a European Cup quarter-final since they made it to the final in 1978 — when they lost 1-0 to Liverpool at Wembley
David Neres pounced on a defensive mix-up to double the visitors’ lead in the 89th minute, leaving Parker with a mountain to climb in the second leg in Lisbon on March 7
More to follow…
Club Brugge v Benfica
Club Brugge: Mignolet, Mata, Mechele, Hendry, Buchanan, Vanaken, Odoi, Nwadike, Meijer, Lang, Sowah.
Subs: Jutgla, Rits, Nielsen, Boyata, Nusa, Yaremchuk, Sylla, Sandra, Bursik.
Benfica: Vlachodimos, Bah, Silva, Otamendi, Grimaldo, Florentino, Chiquinho, Joao Mario, Rafa Silva, Aursnes, Goncalo Ramos.
Subs: Gilberto, Lucas Verissimo, Neres, Goncalo Guedes, Tengstedt, Schjelderup, Soares, Musa, Gomes, Neves, Morato, Draxler.
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy)
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