After two successive defeats that ended Benfica’s hopes of silverware in the domestic cups, José Mourinho’s team bounced back with a convincing victory against Rio Ave in Vila do Conde tonight.
Benfica were good value for their 2-0 lead at half time, playing some of their best football this season in the opening forty-five minutes, with Schjelderup, Sudakov and Prestianni scything through Rio Ave’s defence time and time again.
Leandro Barreiro headed in Sudakov’s pinpoint cross in the 16th minute to put the visitors ahead but Benfica could and should have been out of sight by then. Rio Ave defender Nelson Abbey had produced two miraculous goal-line clearances and Schjelderup had hit the post among a flurry of other chances.
Benfica’s lead was doubled in the 25th minute when Andreas Ntoi was unlucky to see his interception of Dedic’s cross turn into a perfect lob over goalkeeper Cezary Miszta with the ball nestling in the net.
Ntoi almost made amends shortly before half time with a long-range shot that beat Trubin but hit the outside of the post.
The second half was a more even affair and Rio Ave seemed to have got themselves back into the game in the 69th minute when Clayton smashed a superb angled shot into the net, but the goal was ruled out for a narrow VAR offside call.
Sudakov and Pavlidis went close to making it 3-0 to Benfica but no further goals were scored as the Lisbon giants moved back to within three points of city rivals Sporting.
