An extraordinary first-half from Benfica led them to a 2-0 victory over Belgian football club Anderlecht in their UEFA Champions League Group C opener here.
Like Benfica's last match, it took only four minutes for them to score the first goal Tuesday, reports Xinhua. Serbian Filip Djuricic tapped in the first goal after Silvio Proto failed to hold a shot from Enzo Perez.
The second goal came in the 30th minute with Andre Almeida heading in from a corner after being assisted by Benfica captain Luisao.
The two scorers were two of the three changes Benfica's coach Jorge Jesus made since the last match. Andre Almeida made his debut this season and Djuricic played in place of Lima.
The Belgians never caused any problems during the first half and the Portuguese side could have scored more but Cardozo and the other strikers wasted their opportunities.
The second half started differently. Anderlecht had more opportunities in the first 15 minutes of the second half than in all the first. However, Benfica's goalkeeper Artur kept his sheet clean with two good saves.
Then the game was more balanced. Benfica adopted a more defensive posture, waiting for the counterattack. The power of the Serbian midfield controlled the rest of the game.
Djuricic was adjudged as Man of the Match. Playing as playmaker the serbian was decisive not only scoring the first goal but also making good passes during the rest of the match.
