Scott Parker’s hopes of guiding Club Brugge into the Champions League quarter-finals were dealt a blow as Benfica secured a 2-0 first-leg lead in Belgium. Parker, who played in the competition for Chelsea, had his first outing as a Champions League manager at the Jan Breydel Stadium, but finished on the losing side.
João Mário’s penalty and a second goal from substitute David Neres secured victory for the visitors, their sixth in seven games in all competitions. No Belgian club has reached the last eight, and Brugge will have their work cut out to end that run in Lisbon next month against the Portuguese league leaders.
The Belgian champions, currently lying a distant fourth at home, were playing in the last 16 for the first time and started in enterprising fashion with Noa Lang blasting over from distance at the end of a determined 11th-minute run.
With Tajon Buchanan causing problems down the left with support from full-back Bjorn Meijer and Hans Vanaken linking the play well, the visitors found themselves under pressure in the early stages.
However, Benfica responded and went close twice in quick succession, Brandon Mechele intervening to prevent Gonçalo Ramos from connecting with João Mário’s ball in before Fredrik Aursnes steered an attempt wide from Rafa Silva’s cross.
The Brugge keeper Simon Mignolet was relieved to see António Silva head over after captain Nicolas Otamendi had turned the ball back across goal, and he needed the help of the woodwork to preserve his clean sheet on the half-hour as Rafa’s attempt hit the angle of bar and post.
Ramos headed over after Rafa and Mario had combined once against eight minutes before the break, but Brugge defender Denis Odoi saw a deflected header ruled out for offside as the first half ended goalless.
Benfica’s finishing did not improve immediately after the restart with Ramos steering wide from Álex Grimaldo’s inviting free-kick, but he played a key role to enable Mário to break the deadlock with 50 minutes gone.
Jack Hendry’s trip on the striker handed the midfielder the chance to open the scoring from the spot, and he duly obliged, if only just with Mignolet touching his attempt on to the underside of the crossbar without reward.
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Lang was doing his best to spark the home side into life once again, but Parker’s men lacked the craft and guile to break down a well-organised defence and as they committed men to the search for an equaliser, they looked vulnerable on the counter.
Chiquinho might have increased Benfica’s advantage 18 minutes from time but for a deflection, before Neres did make it 2-0 as time ran down to put his side firmly in the driving seat in the tie.
