FC Porto began their home match against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday evening with good possibilities of finishing top of Group G. After an abject display and 2-0 defeat, the Dragons must now win at Chelsea on matchday six to have a realistic chance of remaining in the Champions League beyond Christmas.
Benfica, on the other hand, are celebrating qualification for the knockout stage of Europe's premier club competition for only the third time this century after a 2-2 draw in Kazakhstan against Astana.
FC Porto 0-2 Dynamo Kiev
Porto went into the match against the Ukrainian champions still unbeaten this season and looked set to continue their formidable Champions League record under Julen Lopetegui with a dominant 20-minute spell at the start of the match.
But the Dragons, without André André who surprisingly began the game on the bench, could not convert their promising opening into opportunities, and it was the well organised visitors who created the better chances.
Yarmolenko and Garmash in particular were giving Porto's defence plenty of problems, the latter sending a header crashing against the post with Moraes sliding the rebound wide. Dynamo duly took the lead shortly afterwards, the hapless Imbula - still struggling to justify the €20m transfer fee that brought him to the Estádio do Dragão - giving away a clumsy penalty that Yarmolenko dispatched into the net.
Lopetegui attempted to change the course of events at half time, bringing on André André and restructuring his defence with the substitution of Maxi Pereira, but it did little to improve the strangely apathetic hosts. Dynamo continued to play the more incisive football and doubled their lead in the 66th minute through Derlis González, Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas making a horrible mess of a routine save with the ball looping into the net off his outstretched hand.
Porto came desperately close to reducing the deficit in the 78th minute as Kiev defender Rybalka's attempted clearance rolled onto the post, and in the dying minutes André André's deflected shot ricocheted onto the underside of the bar. But at the other end of the pitch Dynamo also could have scored more goals with a series of dangerous counter-attacks.
Assuming Dynamo beat Maccabi Tel Aviv (who have yet to earn a point) in Kiev in their final group match, Porto must win at Stamford Bridge to qualify for the last 16 of the 2015/16 Champions League.
Astana 2-2 Benfica
Benfica bounced back from their disappointing defeat in the Portuguese Cup against Sporting on Saturday with a spirited display in Kazakhstan, coming back from 2-0 down to earn a share of the spoils thanks to a brace from Mexican striker Raul Jiménez.
Under-pressure Benfica coach Rui Vitória could not count on the injured Luisão, Sálvio, Fejsa, Nélson Semedo or the suspended Nico Gaitán, which opened the door for 18-year-old Renato Sanches to make his Champions League debut, and the youngster can be happy with his night's work.
But Benfica left themselves with an uphill battle as they fell two goals behind after little more than half an hour of the contest. The hosts were troubling Benfica's back line with their pacey wingers, and a simple move beautifully executed ended with Twumasi heading a pinpoint Kabananga cross past Júlio César and into the net.
Anicic doubled the home side's lead on 32 minutes, but Benfica hit back shortly before the break as a fine Jonas cross was met by a powerful header from Jiménez into the top corner of the net.
There were chances at both ends after the interval, with Gonçalo Guedes denied by the Astana goalkeeper Eric after a superb assist by Sanches, and Júlio César then produced a stunning save to deny Kabananga.
Benfica drew level in the 72nd minute thanks to a slick move, Jonas and André Almeida combining swiftly on the right flank, the latter crossing low for Jiménez to direct a low shot into the net off the post.
Both sides seemed content with the draw, and Atlético Madrid's victory against Galatasaray later in the evening guaranteed Benfica's place in the knockout stages. Should the Eagles avoid defeat against Atlético in their final Group C match in Lisbon in two weeks' time they will finish top of the section.
by Tom Kundert
