Maccabi Haifa 1-6 Benfica: Portuguese side pip PSG to top spot
Maccabi Haifa 1-6 Benfica: Portuguese side pip PSG to top spot in their Champions League group by AWAY GOALS after Joao Mario’s dramatic stoppage time strike ensured they finished with identical records
Benfica stunned Paris Saint-Germain after pipping them to the top of their Champions League on the final matchday after thrashing Maccabi Haifa 6-1.
The Portuguese side scored twice in the latter stages, with Joao Mario’s strike in the second minute of stoppage time enough to secure top spot by away goals over the much fancied French champions.
This is despite PSG winning their final group game by overcoming Juventus 2-1 in Turin.
The result will have a huge knock-on effect for the other Champions League group winners including Premier League clubs Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur who could now face the French side in the last-16, which is drawn on Monday.
Goals from Goncalo Ramos, Petar Musa, Alex Grimaldo, Rafa Silva, Henrique Araujo and Joao Mario lifted Benfica to 14 points, level with Paris St Germain on points and goal difference but ahead of the French champions having scored more away goals.
The result gave the Portuguese side two points more than its previous best campaign achieved 11 years ago.
Joao Mario’s long-range low shot in stoppage time turned out to be crucial as Benfica and PSG were even on points and head-to-head, and were also tied on goals scored and conceded overall.
Benfica had already secured a spot in the next round in advance.
The victory over Haifa also extended Benfica’s unbeaten run to 22 straight matches this season.
Goncalo Ramos put the visitors ahead with a header in the 20th, and Haifa equalized with Tjaronn Chery converting a penalty kick awarded following a lengthy video review for a handball by Benfica defender Alexander Bah inside the area.
Petar Musa put Benfica ahead with another header in the 59th, Alejandro Grimaldo added to the lead by converting a free kick 10 minutes later, Rafa Silva netted the fourth from inside the area in the 73rd, and Henrique Araujo added a fifth in the 88th.
Benfica had already beaten Haifa at home, and it also defeated Juventus twice while drawing both matches against PSG home and away.
Last-place Haifa, whose only group-stage win this season had come against Juventus at home, was coming off a 7-2 loss at PSG in the previous round.
Benfica’s last defeat on the road was exactly one year ago when they lost 5-2 to Bayern Munich. Its undefeated run on the road was its longest of any of this season’s 32 teams.
Benfica reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League last season, being eliminated by Liverpool.
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