Benfica crushes Brugge

LISBON - Clinical Benfica thrashed shell-shocked Club Brugge 5-1 with two goals from striker Goncalo Ramos to knock the Belgian side out of the Champions League and reach the quarter finals 7-1 on aggregate at the Estadio da Luz yesterday.

Led by a tireless Joao Mario, who netted a late penalty, and the in-form Ramos, Benfica showed exactly why they are seen in Portugal as the country’s best side since Jose Mourinho’s Porto were crowned European champions 19 years ago.

“We have one objective and it’s winning every game we play going forward,” Rafa Silva, who had opened the scoring late in the first half, told Eleven Sports.

Benfica took control from the start as they pressured their rivals in the heavy rain that poured down in Lisbon.

Joao Mario had goal ruled out by VAR in the first minute for an offside in the build-up and Benfica then wasted several clear chances as the visitors looked well out of their depth.

Struggling in the Belgian league, Brugge were coming off an embarrassing 3-0 loss to lowly Oostende at the weekend and are currently languishing fourth in the standings, having now won only two of their last 15 matches in all competitions.

They were outclassed by a well organised Benfica side who remain unbeaten in this season’s Champions League and have lost only two competitive games this term, both to Braga and one of those on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Portuguese Cup.

They are on a seven-game winning streak in the Primeira Liga in which they have scoring 18 goals and conceded one.