Benfica defeats Dinamo Kiev

A penalty goal scored by Argentine Eduardo Salvio at the end of the first half gave Benfica the victory over Dinamo Kiev (1-0), reactivating their chances of reaching the round of 16 and leaving the Ukrainian team on the verge of elimination.

Both teams took the field after the draw between Besiktas and Napoli (1-1), the other two teams in Group B, which could mean that Benfica would share the lead with the Italians if they won.

They achieved this by converting a penalty in stoppage time of the first half, committed by Vida, who held onto Luisão during a corner kick, an action that earned him a yellow card that angered the Estadio de la Luz.

Salvio was the one in charge of taking the penalty and closing the first half. The Portuguese team pressured the opponent's area and created several dangerous opportunities.

Meanwhile, Dinamo Kiev, compact in defense, played a conservative and combative game, which led to them receiving four yellow cards in the first 45 minutes.

For the match, Rui Vitória decided to start with Spanish player Alex Grimaldo, who provided the pass to Salvio in the 19th minute, which he failed to convert with a header, but it was the start of constant pressure on Rudko, the Dinamo Kiev goalkeeper, throughout the match.

The "eagles" consistently reached the opponent's area and could have even increased their lead. Argentine Cervi, who left two defenders from the Ukrainian team behind with a dribble, showed in the 60th minute that the halftime break had changed Dinamo's mood. And in the 64th minute, Mitroglou almost lifted the entire stadium.

But all of this was just prelude to the madness that erupted in the 69th minute when Ederson stopped a penalty awarded to Dinamo precisely for a foul committed by him on Derlis González.

After surviving the heart-stopping threat, Benfica became more cautious while Dinamo Kiev created dangerous opportunities in the last ten minutes, as they did not give up on scoring the equalizer, which they ultimately did not achieve.

With the victory, Benfica shares the top spot in Group B with Napoli, both with seven points, followed by Besiktas with six points, and Dinamo Kiev with one point.

Source: EFE