Benfica out of Champions League after 3-3 draw in Milan | OneFootball

They gave it a good go, but Benfica were tonight knocked out of the Champions League after a 3-3 draw away at Internazionale.

Trailing by two goals from the first leg, the Portuguese side went behind early on to a terrific Nicolò Barella goal, but a thumping header by Fredrick Aursnes shortly before the break gave the Eagles hope.

Two more clinical finishes from Lautaro Martínez and Joaquín Correa killed the tie as a contest, although Benfica rallied late on to draw on the night thanks to goals from António Silva and Peta Musa.

There has been something of a national inquest in the Portuguese media over recent days as Benfica lost three matches in the row to undo much of the good work from a brilliant first three quarters of the season.

Just two weeks ago Benfica were seemingly strolling to the title and their fans had high hopes of reaching at least the semi-finals of the Champions League.

But defeats against Porto and Chaves has seen their lead at the top of the table cut from 10 points to four, and last week’s poor showing against Inter at home, a match that coach Roger Schmidt described in the post-match interview as “our worst game of the season,” seriously compromised their hopes of making progress in the competition.

Damage already done

Sure enough, Benfica duly made their exit tonight, and there is no doubt that this tie got away from them in Lisbon, when losing 2-0 to Inter at the Estádio da Luz last week.

Benfica started tentatively and it looked hopeless when Barella added to his goal in Portuguese capital by taking advantage of a Grimaldo slip, jinking his way into the box and curling a beauty of a shot into the top corner.

However, Benfica improved as the game wore on and were further boosted when Aursnes met Rafa’s pinpoint cross with an unstoppable header.

With Benfica finally exerting pressure on Inter, even more so when the lively David Neres came on after the break as Schmidt removed the out-of-sorts Gilberto, there was a glimmer of hope that the Eagles could pull off an unlikely turnaround.

Alas, two more excellent goals from Martínez and Correa put paid to those ideas.

Credit to Benfica who never downed tools, and the visitors were rewarded when Silva and Musa scored in the dying minutes to earn a draw on the night. Benfica remain unbeaten away from home in this year’s Champions League, a notable achievement in a fine international campaign.

The somewhat sour taste left in the mouth is explained by the fact Benfica will feel they could have overcome Inter if they had not suffered an untimely loss of form.

Schmidt defends lack of rotation

Much blame in the aforementioned “inquest” has been laid at the door of the German coach, but Schmidt dismissed the idea that his reticence to rotate the team or make early substitutions had simultaneously caused his first-teamers to run out of gas and demotivated the squad players.

“I don’t pick the team,” said Schmidt. “The players pick the team by the way they play in the matches and the way they train.

“I have already responded to this question several times. I have to make decisions. The players who are selected deserved to be playing. What the players have achieved this season is fantastic. For me you don’t have to make big changes. The best players have to play.”

By

Goals:

[1-0] Barella, 14’

[1-1] Aursnes, 38’

[2-1] Martínez, 66’

[3-1] Correa, 78’

[3-2] António Silva, 86’

[3-3] Musa